Malone University witnessed a stir on its campus early Monday when an emergency shelter-in-place order was sent out, only to be lifted within the hour after the Canton Police determined the threat to be a hoax. The university initially alerted the community at approximately 8:39 a.m. via Facebook, urgently calling for everyone to shelter in place due to a "credible threat". However, as noted by WKYC, the police quickly came to believe differently, declaring the threat non-credible and advising that things could resume as normal.
While students and faculty were advised to remain vigilant, they were given the all-clear to "resume normal activities," as per the update posted just before 9:30 a.m. on Malone University's website. In this brief moment of uncertainty, the institution urged those not already on campus to stay away, a directive quickly retracted when safety was no longer a concern. Despite the rapid conclusion that the threat was a hoax, Canton Police have committed to maintaining extra patrols in and around the campus area, as was detailed by FOX8.
The private Christian institution, located at 2600 Cleveland Avenue NW in Canton, Ohio, illustrates the tension that surfaces when safety is abruptly compromised. This morning's incident unfolded quickly — the original lockdown alert blasted out at about 8:22 a.m., labeling the situation as "not a test" and "not a drill." Following a swift investigation, a subsequent alert given at approximately 9:17 a.m. confirmed the lifting of the shelter-in-place and urged the campus community to report any inconsistent or suspicious activity, according to Jordan Miller News.
