Houston:
Texas A&M University, playing host to former US President George Bush Snr, was briefly locked down after officials received reports that a man carrying an AK-47 rifle had been spotted in the campus.
The lockdown was lifted two hours later after it emerged that the gunman was a member of the university's military cadet corps, and the weapon was a non-firing plastic replica.
The emergency notification system, what the school calls 'Code Maroon', had sent texts and emails on Thursday telling students, faculty and staff to remain indoors while police searched for the suspect.
The guest list also included Bush Snr's wife Barbara and former first Lady Laura Bush.
Sgt. Allan Baron of the A&M police department confirmed a young man was taken into custody for questioning about the incident, adding the college-age man is not accused of breaking any law.
"We do have an individual of interest that we are questioning. We have determined that he was in possession of a replica-style AK-47 rifle," Baron said.
"He matches the initial description that we received."
Earlier, police cordoned off the area and a SWAT team was called in. An hour later, the Texas A&M University Police Department received a call from someone claiming the person with the gun was back at home off campus.
University police would not release the man's name, only confirming that he was a Texas A&M student and that an investigation was ongoing.
They did not know how he came in possession of the replica AK-47 or why he brought it on campus.
In night, students at the College Station campus were relieved when university officials said the situation was over.
The incident was the third in a month at prominent Texas universities after an incident at Sam Houston State University on October 22 and the suicide of an armed student at the University of Texas on September 28.
On October 22, police at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville locked town the campus while they investigated reports of gunmen on the campus.
The lockdown was lifted two hours later after it emerged that the gunman was a member of the university's military cadet corps, and the weapon was a non-firing plastic replica.
The emergency notification system, what the school calls 'Code Maroon', had sent texts and emails on Thursday telling students, faculty and staff to remain indoors while police searched for the suspect.
The guest list also included Bush Snr's wife Barbara and former first Lady Laura Bush.
Sgt. Allan Baron of the A&M police department confirmed a young man was taken into custody for questioning about the incident, adding the college-age man is not accused of breaking any law.
"We do have an individual of interest that we are questioning. We have determined that he was in possession of a replica-style AK-47 rifle," Baron said.
"He matches the initial description that we received."
Earlier, police cordoned off the area and a SWAT team was called in. An hour later, the Texas A&M University Police Department received a call from someone claiming the person with the gun was back at home off campus.
University police would not release the man's name, only confirming that he was a Texas A&M student and that an investigation was ongoing.
They did not know how he came in possession of the replica AK-47 or why he brought it on campus.
In night, students at the College Station campus were relieved when university officials said the situation was over.
The incident was the third in a month at prominent Texas universities after an incident at Sam Houston State University on October 22 and the suicide of an armed student at the University of Texas on September 28.
On October 22, police at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville locked town the campus while they investigated reports of gunmen on the campus.
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