UPMC hospitals operating normally after false reports of active shooter

PITTSBURGH — From the looks of UPMC Presbyterian’s campus Monday afternoon, you’d never know that hours earlier, the company sent out a mass alert to employees, warning them about a bronze alert.

A bronze alert is code for an active shooter.

One nursing student woke up to her phone going off.

“My phone was blowing up, and I’m a nursing student and my clinical instructor texted me that there’s a bronze alert, which is what they use when there is an active shooter,” said Ohemaa Boateng.

The alert did not mention which building and floor were affected, but said all staff should steer clear.

UPMC is the largest private employer in Allegheny County, with more than 40,000 employees.

“My friend told me they hid in the break room, and stuff like that. This is a large campus and you have so many people going to so many places,” added Boateng.

Not long after, another alert was sent, telling employees there wasn’t an active shooter. A UPMC spokesperson said the alert was a false alarm.

“Before they send out messages, they need to know what they are talking about, because it creates a lot of chaos like it did this morning,” said Boateng.

Around the same time, Pitt Police sent out a tweet saying someone was near the facility with a gun, but then later said the situation was clear.

We have reached out to UPMC to try to get answers on what exactly happened, but haven’t received a response.

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