Lockdown at University of Mount Olive lifted

MOUNT OLIVE – At approximately 12:25 PM today, September 21, 2023, University of Mount Olive (UMO) Campus Safety received notification from 911 operators that the Mount Olive Police Department (MOPD) was searching for a fleeing suspect involved in an off-campus incident.

Based on the information received, the incident and the individual were non-UMO related.

However, the suspect, while avoiding apprehension, had fled on foot near the UMO campus and the lockdown was mandated out of an abundance of caution.

The campus went on lockdown and utilized its Omni Alert system to notify all faculty, staff, and students.

The Omni Alert System utilizes phone, text, email, social media, and website to disseminate timely emergency notifications. During that time, the campus worked with the MOPD and the Wayne County Sherriff’s Office to monitor for updates and any further recommended actions.

As an additional measure of safety, MOPD went through all campus facilities to ensure no further action was needed on campus. At 2:31 PM, the MOPD notified campus officials that the campus lockdown could be lifted.

“We appreciate the timely notification by local law enforcement, as well as the quick response by our faculty, staff, and students to adhere to the lockdown,” said Dr. Dan Sullivan, Senior Vice President for Student Affairs. “At UMO, we appreciate the good working relationship that we have with local law enforcement. Those relationships help maintain a safe campus atmosphere.”

This is a developing story that will be updated when more information is available.