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Campus gunman report erroneous, USF police say

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By JAMIE PILARCZYK

jpilarczyk@tampatrib.com

Published: June 13, 2009

TAMPA - University of South Florida police detectives have interviewed someone they think might have been mistaken for a gunman on campus Thursday.

"We've interviewed someone who was in that area at the time carrying something that wasn't a handgun but could have been mistaken for it," USF police spokeswoman Lt. Meg Ross said Friday. "He felt he could have been the one mistaken for a gunman.

"He said he was there at the time the caller identified the gunman, and he said he didn't see anyone else in the area," Ross said. Police have not said what the man was carrying that might have been mistaken for a gun.

A caller notified police of a man on the east side of campus near the Greek Village on Thursday afternoon. The caller said a white man 18 to 20 years old who was wearing a white shirt and jeans was walking with a gun hanging by his side near 56th Street, Ross said.

The university sent out a text message to faculty and staff about the report, but no shots were fired, no buildings were locked down and the campus was not evacuated, USF spokesman Michael Hoad said.

The Tampa Police Department and Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office are helping with the investigation.

Reporter Jamie Pilarczyk can be reached at (813) 259-7661.

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