A loud noise outside McGuffey Hall sent Miami University into lockdown Thursday afternoon. Students in classrooms barricaded doors and called parents, with junior Nick Morre describing the moment as chaotic. "Everyone just started, like, barricading the doors," he said. "I was really scared for a good, like, 5 or 10 minutes."
The university's police department received reports of shots fired from a student in a classroom around 2 p.m., prompting a RedHawk Alert at 2:11 p.m. that told students to "run, hide, fight." Officers from Miami University Police, Oxford Police Department, and Butler County Sheriff's Office responded within a minute. After speaking with witnesses, they determined the noise sounded more like fireworks. The Butler County Sheriff's Office later confirmed it was fireworks, not gunfire.
Police found no evidence of gunfire or injuries after searching McGuffey Hall and the surrounding area. The university gave the all-clear shortly before 2:40 p.m., declaring it safe to resume daily activities. However, the university cancelled in-person classes for the rest of the evening. University police emphasized that student safety remains their top priority, with the incident leaving many students visibly shaken despite the absence of any actual threat.