On Friday, Aug. 26, at 3:26 p.m. a shelter-in-place alert was sent out to all Shippensburg University affiliated persons via text and email. The alert was sent after the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) initiated a manhunt following a police incident near the Roxbury Treatment Center, which is approximately 1.7 miles from the campus of SU.
An image and description of William Lewis was posted on Twitter by Megan Frazer, a PSP trooper. “Call 911 if you observe him. Do no[t] engage him. Possibly armed,” Frazer wrote in the tweet following the description of Lewis.
Additionally, the residents of Shippensburg were urged to stay inside. The Shippensburg Area School District locked down all schools under its jurisdiction. PSP assisted and escorted students to buses for dismissal, according to a tweet by Frazer at 4:11 p.m.
SU students, staff and faculty received another SU Alert at 4:32 p.m. that the shelter-in-place was lifted due to increased police presence around the campus. A final SU alert was sent at 7:04 p.m. to inform SU that Lewis was in custody.
Lewis was allegedly found by PSP behind the Kappa Sigma fraternity house just across the street from SU. “The suspect has been taken into custody,” was posted by Frazer at 5:32 p.m.
According to public court documents, Lewis was charged with possession of a prohibited firearm. His bail was set at $75,000 and at this time he has not made bail. Lewis’ hearing will be held on Sept. 6.
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