Hundreds of Police Were Dispatched to UNCW — Here’s What Happened

With the news of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk’s death still so fresh, it’s no surprise that emotions and concerns about safety are running high, especially among students. While many are still trying to piece together why someone would commit such a hateful crime, attention quickly shifted to a separate threat that shook the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) on Sept. 18, 2025, around 6 p.m.

Students were understandably on edge when campus police used the words “threat” and “gunman” in the same sentence. Hours later, the campus received an all-clear, but by then the incident had already sparked national attention, leaving many wondering what really happened and what prompted the threat in the first place. Here’s what we know.

UNCW was placed on lockdown around 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 18, 2025, after students said they received an alert to shelter in place. Rumors had already started spreading on X (formerly Twitter) and Snapchat that there was a gunman on campus, students told WRAL News.

Chancellor Aswani K. Volety later corroborated these statements in a video posted to the campus website after the all-clear was given. He explained that the incident began after a series of anonymous reports and tips came in about a possible gunman.

Once “a report from a credible individual was received,” Volety said the school decided to send out a campus-wide alarm. The first alert from UNCW read: “University Police have received unconfirmed reports of [a] gunman on campus. UPD is investigating. Shelter in place at this time.”

Hundreds of police officers were dispatched to the university, where they conducted a thorough sweep to determine whether there was an actual threat. That sight alone was unsettling for many on campus. A second alert soon followed: “Continue to shelter in place. Law enforcement sweeping campus. Will update when more information [is] available.”

Four hours after the first message went out, students finally received the all-clear. Volety himself had sheltered in place at the Burney Center with about 35 faculty members and students, calling it an “intense” moment.

After it was all over, he acknowledged that while everyone at UNCW “experienced fear, dread, concern, and yes, even anger,” there appeared to be no active threat to campus. As a precaution, classes were canceled on Sept. 19, 2025, with assignments and exams postponed. However, that wasn’t the end of it, as university police are still working to validate the threat.

Just before the lockdown at UNCW on Sept. 18, the university was already making headlines after videos went viral of a girl, whom students began identifying in the comments, pouring paint on a Charlie Kirk “memorial” that students had painted and written messages on in his honor.

While many online called for her arrest, it’s worth noting that something is only considered an official memorial if it goes through the proper approval process. That usually requires an institution, government entity, or organization to formally designate it as such.

If that didn’t happen, then what was painted was more of a personal tribute. And while pouring paint on it may have been wrong or disrespectful, it wouldn’t necessarily be illegal.