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By Dan Gooding and Gabe Whisnant
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A report of shots fired at the University of Massachusetts Boston on Thursday afternoon prompted a heavy police response and campus lockdown, authorities reported.
The incident, later deemed all clear, was reported around 3:45 p.m. near 240 Morrissey Boulevard in Dorchester, close to a residence hall in the East Building, according to WCVB in Boston.
Boston Police Department initially told Newsweek that there had been reports of shots fired, but there had been no confirmation.
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"Multiple units responded and are actively investigating the building and surrounding area," a Boston PD spokesperson said at around 4:40 p.m. ET. "At this time, there has been no confirmation of shots fired and no confirmation of any individuals with firearms on campus."
At around 5:11 p.m., the UMass Boston emergency alert system issued an update that the police had declared the incident all clear.
"There is no ongoing threat to the community," the post on X read.
The incident in Boston comes during weeks of multiple shooting and firearms incidents on school and college campuses across the U.S., including the death of conservative voice Charlie Kirk at the Utah Valley University and a shooting at Evergreen High School in Colorado.
Other unspecified threats were also received by Historically Black Colleges and Universities on Thursday.
Incident on UMass Boston Campus: What We Know
UMass Boston issued multiple alerts Thursday afternoon calling the incident a "public safety threat" and urged people to avoid the area and the Campus Center.
UMass Boston Police responded to the scene, as well as Boston police officers and Massachusetts State Police troopers. Boston EMS posted to X that there were "multiple units staged" ready.
Boston Police Department said the scene remained active for around an hour, with pedestrian and vehicular traffic urged to avoid the area.
UMass Boston cancelled all remaining classes and activities for the day just before 5 p.m. ET, in an update shared to X.
Local media aerial footage showed students and staff being evacuated from buildings on the site.
Shortly after, the scene was declared safe.
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Where is UMass Boston located?
The University of Massachusetts Boston, founded in 1964, is the only public research university in the city and part of the UMass system.
The Dorchester-based campus enrolls more than 15,000 undergraduate and graduate students and offers more than 200 academic programs.
UMass Boston is noted for its diverse student body, research in urban and environmental studies, and efforts to expand access to affordable higher education in a city dominated by private institutions.
Update: 9/11/25, 5:20 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information.
Update: 9/11/25, 5:47 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks. The headline was updated after an all-clear was announced.
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