Police: Juvenile suspect IDed after brandishing air gun in Lowell, prompting massive response

Lowell police certified Thursday they identified a juvenile held to have brandished a firearm on Wednesday prompting a massive response from law enforcement and a lock down at UMass Lowell Video of a man walking near a dorm room with what looked like a gun triggered a campus lockdown with students barricaded inside dorm rooms and lecture halls and officers swarming the campus Police revealed the firearm which was authenticated to be an airsoft replica weapon has been recovered Personally my heart was beating out of my chest explained freshman aspirant Harlem Meade-Draves I didn t know what was going on selected people were crying particular people were panicking UMass Lowell police validated video recorded by a pupil along with surveillance camera on a residence hall picked up the suspect they commented no shots were fired The safety of this city and its residents and visitors is our top priority Lowell police superintendent Greg Hudon revealed in a declaration The extensive response of personnel and assets by this department and our law enforcement partners was a testament to that commitment While the published firearm in this development was ultimately determined to be an airsoft gun our public can be certain that as in this incident the Lowell Police Department will inevitably utilize all available support until the safety of all involved is assured