NU's Chicago Campus Had Active Threat Before Suspect Caught: Police

CHICAGO — An active threat at Northwestern University’s downtown Chicago campus was being investigated by Chicago Police Monday after students were told to shelter in place by school officials Monday afternoon.

The Daily Northwestern reported Monday that students were alerted to the incident by a campus-wide text message. Campus officials then said in a social media post that the incident started when Chicago Police attempted to make a traffic stop on Lake Shore Drive around 1:30 p.m. following a carjacking, police said.

The campus-wide text warned students to "run, hide or fight" to lock or barricade their doors, and "take proper shelter".

Chicago Police said that the carjacking took place on West Arthur around 12:48 p.m. and police said that the suspect left the car at Lake Shore Drive and Chicago Avenue.

The suspect was last seen around the Morton Medical Research building on Northwestern’s downtown campus. Students were told that university police were searching for the suspect, police said.

However, shortly after alerting students of the threat, police announced at about 2:15 p.m. that students and staff members no longer had to shelter in place after the suspect was found in the basement of a building in the 300 block of East Superior and taken into custody.

Chicago Police have not given more details about the suspect but a police spokesman tweeted a photo of a handgun found inside the vehicle that the suspect had reportedly stolen.