Penn State University released a statement related to the State College shooting and questions around the use of the PSUAlert system.

UNIVERSITY STATEMENT

“We understand that the tragic events that occurred last night may have instilled fear and concern in members of the campus community. We are deeply saddened by the senseless acts of violence that have occurred and our thoughts are with the victims and their families.

University police, working with State College police, were monitoring the rapidly unfolding off-campus incident. After careful consideration based on the circumstances known to law enforcement at the time, location of the incidents, and the lack of an imminent threat to Penn State students or the campus, it was decided that an alert would not be sent.

The decision to send an action alert is made on a case-by-case basis for each situation, and is based on information available to Penn State Police at the time of the event. We always review our responses to these incidents and will adjust our processes as needed.”