A University of Utah alert sent late Wednesday warned people on campus to hold in place after reports of an alleged threat near the Lassonde Studios dormitory complex, prompting a heavy police response before officers determined the firearm involved was actually an Airsoft rifle. One person was detained, and no injuries were reported.
According to FOX 13 News Utah, the alert went out just before 10:45 p.m., warning students and staff to hold in their current location and to expect a heavy police presence near Lassonde Studios, the community dormitory complex on campus. University Police and Salt Lake City Police responded to the area, and the school gave an all-clear at 11:20 p.m., per the same report. Police have not said whether the detained person was released or remained in custody.
A separate account of the incident, relayed by hindustantimes.com, described the alert as covering an unverified threat incident in the area of Lassonde Studios and instructed people to hold in their current room or area and avoid entering or exiting the building. That report said an individual brandishing a firearm was detained, and that the item was later determined to be an Airsoft rifle. The area around Lassonde Studios was then declared safe, though officers were expected to remain as the investigation continued.
No Injuries, But Questions Remain
Both accounts agree that nobody was hurt during the response. Hindustantimes.com's report also noted that police intended to stay in the area while they continued investigating, even after the all-clear was given.
Campus firearms incidents, even false alarms involving replica weapons, carry real stakes under university rules. The University of Utah's Interim Policy 1-003 on Firearms on Campus, which has been in effect since September 24, 2007, states that the university enforces state law regulating firearms on campus and that violations can trigger disciplinary action for faculty, students and staff, according to the University of Utah Regulations Library. The same policy says university police may investigate and take appropriate action, up to and including referral for criminal prosecution.
A Pattern of Threats Targeting Campus Offices
A September series of threatening emails aimed at campus offices was described as a swatting incident. The university's Department of Public Safety monitored those emails and believed they came from a single person, while police investigated to identify a potential suspect.
That email campaign echoed an earlier episode from the fall. Multiple threatening emails were sent to the University of Utah overnight on September 18, 2026, in what the school's Department of Public Safety also labeled a swatting incident, per kutv.com. Those emails targeted several offices at the Salt Lake campus, and officials did not disclose details about the threats contained in them, the outlet reported. Investigators believed the September emails were sent by a single individual attempting to target the school, and an effort to identify that person was underway at the time, according to kutv.com's reporting.
The available evidence does not establish whether Wednesday's Airsoft rifle incident near Lassonde Studios is connected to either the overnight email threats or the September swatting case. For now, campus officials have confirmed only that the Lassonde Studios area was secured, that no one was injured, and that police remained nearby as the investigation into the detained individual continued.
