Sept. 19, 11:11 A.M. – 

A member of the Whitman community was detained earlier today by the Walla Walla Police Department.

Yesterday evening at approximately 8:00 PM and again at 12:20 AM students in Anderson and Stanton students evacuated residence halls after a Whitman community member pulled the building’s fire alarms.

Students awoke on campus this morning to at least three additional fire alarms in buildings across campus and residence halls. The alarms were not caused by active fire or smoke, but were manually triggered by one person without evidence of fire danger. According to a local online scanner, Anderson Hall’s alarm system was allegedly pulled at 8:46 A.M. by an individual who was later recognized by police through camera footage in an academic building. 

3 residence halls had fire alarms pulled this morning; Stanton Hall was first, and was quickly followed up by the Anderson Hall and Prentiss Hall fire alarms going off.  The alarms in the Hall of Science and Memorial were allegedly also pulled by this individual. At 9:01 A.M., the Walla Walla Police Department responded on campus and witnessed the individual pull another fire alarm. Fire crews requested additional aid from Walla Walla Police to detain the person pulling the alarms. Per Washington state law, pulling a fire alarm without fire danger is illegal and warrants a misdemeanor.

At 9:03 A.M. the individual was detained by the Walla Walla Police Department. Their motive remains unknown, but the individual has been identified as a 20 year old affiliated with the college.  

The Wire has verified that Friday morning’s fire alarms are connected to alarms that went off in Stanton Hall, Anderson Hall, Prentiss Hall and Douglas Hall on Thursday, September 18. Vice President for Communications Gina Zandy Ohnstad confirmed in an email to The Wire that a Whitman community member pulled the Stanton alarm and was notified by fire crews of potential repercussions to triggering alarms without reasonable belief of a fire. The following morning, Friday, the 19th of September, alarms continued as an individual triggered alarms in other buildings throughout campus. 

At 9:35, the community member was released from the backseat of the police car they were being held in. Their handcuffs were removed as the student spoke with the 3 officers on site, as well as head of Whitman Security Greg Powell. The student was then walked to Whitman staff members by Greg Powell, before the staff and community member walked along Boyer Avenue away from Reid Campus Center. Powell got into a police car before all 3 officers drove off in their vehicles.

Greg Powell turned down the Whitman Wire‘s request for comment in person. The Wire has since reached again requesting comment from Greg Powell.

This article is subject to breaking news and will be updated as information becomes available.