California campus locked down over umbrella mishap

var p = new anv_pl_def(); p.config = {}; p.config.width = 640; p.config.height = 360; p.loadVideoExpressV3(‘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|1000011|SPS’);

Cal State San Marcos was locked down Wednesday morning after police received a call that there was a suspicious man on campus armed with a rifle.

Well, once the troops were sent in to confront the suspect it was discovered that the person in question was not an active shooter with a firearm, but a staff member with an umbrella.

Bill Craig’s been an employee at the university for 17 years. It was raining on Wednesday, so he brought his umbrella to work. Little did he know he’d have the San Diego County SWAT Team bearing down on him shortly after his arrival.

“I guess you always think that when someone’s pointing a gun at you, you’re really going to freak out but I think I was just more focused on doing exactly what the officer said,” he told 10News, the local ABC affiliate.

Once it was determined that Craig was a friend, not a foe, they lockdown was lifted, which lasted about 30 minutes.

Following the incident, the university released a statement addressing the matter.

“Earlier this morning there was a report to University Police of a possible gunman at CSUSM. The campus was immediately placed on lock down,” read the statement.

“Police performed a security sweep and determined that the suspect was not armed, but was a staff member carrying a large umbrella and carry bag,” it continued. “We are grateful for the quick response by our police officers to the perceived threat and to our campus community for their cooperation during the brief state of emergency.”

Meanwhile, Craig has opted to bring some levity to the experience, posting a remark on social media stating, “I don’t always bring an umbrella to work, but when I do, I get cuffed.”

“What could you do but find the humor in it, otherwise it was just going to ruin my day, ruin my faith in humanity,” he added.

[H/T Guns.com]