GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) – Grand Rapids Community College delayed classes Wednesday after a fully loaded magazine for a semi-automatic handgun was found on campus, according to police.
The GRCC police chief said the magazine was found in a restroom at the Peter and Pat Cook Academic Hall around 3 a.m. Officers say no weapon was found with the ammunition, but officers searched buildings to ensure the public’s safety before resuming classes at 11 a.m. Campus police are still investigating the incident, but believe it was isolated.
“It was kind of shocking. Something that we’ve seen in the news a lot. You never thought it would happen here in our city,” GRCC junior Veronica Aguirre told 24 Hour News 8.
GRCC relies on an emergency notification system called Rave Mobile Safety to alert the community about incidents like Wednesday’s. The general public can sign up for those notifications, which is helpful considering the campus sits in busy downtown Grand Rapids.
“The email reassured us they think it’s an isolated incident, that they did all the precautions they could,” Aguirre added.
“As for our faculty, staff and students, I hope that they have all the confidence in us, that we will continue to keep them safe and that the precautions we’ve taken this morning and any inconvenience this morning for missing class or anything that the instructors have planned, it pales in comparison to making sure that they’re safe when they’re here on our campus,” GRCC Police Chief Rebecca Whitman told 24 Hour News 8.
If you’re interested in signing up for the GRCC alert system, you can get more information at GRCC’s website.