Police conclude hunt for man seen with rifle on WWU campus

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, May 14, 2019

By Robert Mittendorf / The Bellingham Herald

Bellingham and Western Washington University police have concluded their search of the campus and surrounding areas early Tuesday after a shuttle bus driver reported seeing a man with a gun who made a threat about “bad people” shortly after 4 a.m.

University officials sent a text message and email to warn students, staff and others at 5:22 a.m.

A follow up email sent approximately an hour later said that police had concluded the search and did not find the man who was seen carrying a rifle.

According to the first email and alert, a man — described as white, about 6 feet tall, wearing dark pants with a lighter top and a hat or cap — approached the driver with what the driver said was a rifle over the man’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry about all this,” he told the shuttle driver. “There are a lot of bad people out tonight that I need to take care of.”

WWU’s email said the incident was near the WWU Physical Plant at 25th Street and Douglas Avenue in Happy Valley.

The driver got back in the van and drove away.

He said the man was walking southeast away from campus toward Douglas Avenue.

This story will be updated.