Massachusetts dispatch: Lowell police lift lockdown with suspect at large, reflecting America’s gun violence crisis

On the afternoon of September 3, I noticed multiple helicopters circling overhead while I worked from my apartment in Lowell, Massachusetts. At first, I thought little of it—helicopters are a common sight where I live. But after two hours of incessant buzzing, I searched online and found a public Facebook post about a possibly armed man walking around a nearby college campus.

The University of Massachusetts at Lowell campus police issued a shelter-in-place order and evacuated students around 2:30 PM in Lowell, after reports surfaced of an armed man carrying what appeared to be a rifle. The Lowell Police Department followed with a Community Advisory instructing residents and visitors to “avoid the area” without offering details. A student recorded a video