Arkansas State gunman in custody, no one hurt

JONESBORO, Ark. — A man is in custody after driving onto the Arkansas State University campus with a gun. The campus was placed on lockdown, but no shots were ever fired, and no one was hurt. “There is no continuing danger from today’s incident, and the Arkansas State community remains strong,” ASU Chancellor Tim Hudson said in a news conference. The suspect was identified as Brad Bartelt, 47. Police surrounded Bartelt shortly after an alert about an active shooter was sent out at about 1:30 p.m. He was taken into custody at about 2:45 p.m., according to the Jonesboro Police Department. A SWAT team negotiated with Bartelt and he surrendered, Jonesboro Police Chief Rick Elliott said. Police took him into custody without incident. “Everything worked as it should have worked today,” Elliott said. “Everything just fell into place, and that’s why we have training.” Jonesboro Police spokesman Paul Holmes told The Associated Press that bomb squad technicians examined the truck Bartelt had driven into the middle of campus. He had a 12-gauge shotgun, a can of gasoline and a 100-pound propane tank in his truck, Elliott said. The suspect poured some of the gas on his truck at one point. The school’s director of communications told CNN that Bartelt drove onto campus and crashed his car into a barrier. Elliot said he was seen doing doughnuts with his car. Campus officials told CNN no one made any threats to the school prior to the incident. Elliott said Bartelt was only threatening himself and never threatened or pointed a gun at any officers. Bartelt wrote on his Facebook page Wednesday that he was suicidal and homicidal and referred to an incident with the Social Security Administration.

Jonesboro Police said they had received a call Wednesday about the post. Officers said Bartelt was already seeking medical attention, according to the report.

Bartelt was formerly a student at Arkansas State University-Newport, a separate school from the main campus in Jonesboro, Elliott said. He has not been a student there since 2012, according to a tweet from the ASU System. Police are still working to determine the gunman’s motive. Elliott said Bartelt will face charges. ASU first reported the gunman was spotted at the student union. Everyone was told to evacuate to the west side of the building. John Miller, a junior at ASU, told the Arkansas Democrat Gazette in a phone interview that he was taking a test in the humanities building when he saw through a window a green pickup drive onto the lawn in front of the union. About five minute later, after finishing his test, Miller said “people came running and screaming freaking out.” At that point, Miller ran with several women to the library as police and SWAT team officers began descending on the campus, he said. The whole school remained on lockdown until about 3:30 p.m. The east side of the student union building is still on lockdown, and the campus is closed for the rest of the day. The university rescheduled the rest of the day’s final exams to Dec. 16. The university plans to reopen Friday. There will be an increased police presence, ASU Police Chief Randy Martin said. Arkansas state law allows concealed-carry permit holders to keep a gun in the trunk of a car parked on campus but not to have one out in the open. ASU policy bars students from having guns on campus, according to the student handbook. Martin urged anyone who witnessed the incident or have any information about the gunman to contact him at rmartin@astate.edu.