Active shooter warning at UK was false alarm. ‘Technical malfunction,’ university says

A University of Kentucky alert sent to office phones warning of an active shooter was incorrect and sent because of “a technical malfunction with software,” the university said.

Around 10 a.m., a UK Alert — the messaging system used to notify campus of security and safety information — was sent to university office phones, warning of an active shooter. Shortly after, the university sent a notification that there was “no emergency and no UK Alert.”

“There was a technical malfunction with software this morning as part of testing with our alert system that was occurring,” UK spokesperson Jay Blanton said. “As a result, a UK Alert was incorrectly sent out to university office phones. We do not believe it was distributed more widely than landline office phones on campus. There is no emergency and no UK Alert. We apologize for the confusion.”

The university has been making “enhancements” to its alert system, Blanton said, and a technical error occurred during the exercise.

A Herald-Leader reporter who was on campus for the board of trustees meetings today said a message came over the sound system in the Gatton Student Center announcing the alert as a false alarm. A student in a different part of the Student Center said they did not hear an announcement.

Notifications went out through social media, email and the UK website clarifying the alert as a false alarm, Blanton said.