Follow up to the Erroneous Shots Fired Dispatch Call on August 30

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The Department of Public Safety (DPS) has assessed the cause of an Erroneous Shots Fired Message that went out to the Pepperdine Community Wednesday evening and concluded it was an unintentional mistake. We apologize for the undue concern it has caused our community.

Within seconds, DPS and University officials were investigating the validity of the message. While they researched this possibility, officers and administrators spoke with employees in Calabasas, reviewed the call log, and viewed Calabasas camera footage to, with the greatest amount of certainty possible, confirm there was no actual shots fired report in Calabasas. Receiving those confirming details that it was not an actual emergency, within 16 minutes of the first message, DPS Dispatch sent a correcting message noting the first communication was in error.

Upon receipt of the initial message, University administrators and officers from the University’s Department of Public Safety went to the Calabasas campus and met with Los Angeles Sheriff’s department (LASD). Sheriff’s deputies accessed the building and cleared it. No employees or students were present in the building at the time the first message went out. Out of an abundance of caution, LASD also sent officers to Malibu.

While we are relieved that the message was in error, we deeply regret the error. We apologize to the Pepperdine community for the undue concern and the additional work it has caused. The Emergency Operations Committee and Department of Public Safety will conduct a review of its testing procedures, training, and protocols to avoid a repeat of this error.

This entry was posted in Calabasas, Irvine, Malibu, West Los Angeles.