Iowa State University police credit training and cameras to debunk false active shooter reports

AMES, Iowa —

Iowa State University police quickly identified false reports of an active shooter on campus on Monday , but the investigation into the source of the calls is expected to be more complex.

The campus police chief, Michael Newton, said Ames police received two calls on their administrative line yesterday, falsely reporting suspicious activity. The first call at 9:01 a.m. claimed a person was carrying a rifle near Friley Residence Hall, and the second call at 9:07 a.m. reported an active shooter near Parks Library.

"Generally, if there's an active situation, you're getting a multitude of 911 calls. Instead, we get two calls on an administrative line. You know, things just weren't adding up," Newton said. He confirmed the reports were fake within minutes, noting discrepancies