'Person of Interest' Held in CSUN Library Gun Scare, Evacuation

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UPDATE, 8:50 p.m.: A "person of interest'' who may have muttered something about a gun in Cal State Northridge's library, triggering a daylong law enforcement response, was being detained and questioned tonight.

UPDATE: 6:30 p.m.: Canine sweep of the library has been completed. Library will remain closed until 7:30 a.m., Wednesday. Click here for timeline of events as reported by the Daily Sundial student newspaper.

UPDATE, 2:35 p.m.: Early this afternoon, officials, via CSUN's website and Facebook page, circulated a photo of the man that was taken by a student, and urged anyone recognizing him to call authorities.

Authorities Tuesday searched the Oviatt Library at Cal State Northridge for a man possibly armed with a gun.

The library was evacuated, and school police began searching for the man after officials received a report at about 10:30 a.m., said Carmen Ramos Chandler of CSUN. Meanwhile, the rest of the campus remained open, she said.

The man was described as white, about 5 feet 8 inches tall, with short
spiky hair. He was wearing a white T-shirt with the words "human rights violation" on it, Chandler said.

Chandler said someone had approached the man, who appeared to be "in distress,'' and asked if he was OK. Apparently, that is when he indicated he had a weapon, though none was seen.

By about 1 p.m., a preliminary search of the building had been
completed, and the man had not been found, Chandler said. Officials requested that a Los Angeles police canine team conduct a search, and the library will remain closed until that can be accomplished, Chandler said.

City News Service contributed to this report.