Pepperdine University released an after-action report Friday, concerning the arrest of two individuals with a BB gun, the Elkins Auditorium lockdown malfunction and an upcoming Emergency Response Training.
The report summarized the events of Aug. 21 when a white SUV entered Malibu’s campus through Seaver Drive with what was thought to be a gun pointed out the window, according to previous Graphic reporting. During the incident, students in Elkins Auditorium said they tried locking themselves inside, but the lockdown button did not work, according to Graphic reporting. Two suspects were arrested on Banowsky Boulevard by the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department (LASD).
Pepperdine’s Department of Public Safety received a phone call from three Pepperdine students who witnessed the suspicious vehicle with what they believed to be a gun pointed out the window, according to the report.
“Within approximately one minute of receiving this information, DPS began dispatching armed and unarmed personnel to search the campus for the suspect’s vehicle,” the University wrote in a statement.
LASD received a tip prior to the vehicle entering campus, the report states. LASD arrived on Malibu’s campus within several minutes and worked with DPS to locate the vehicle, searching the campus and placing patrol vehicles at specific locations.
The Pepperdine community received the first Everbridge message when the University was informed of the white SUV and perceived gun out the window entering Seaver Drive, the University wrote in a statement. The message instructed the community to remain vigilant.
The Emergency Operations Committee (EOC) deemed the threat was not an “active shooter,” according to the statement. If a situation involves an active shooter, Everbridge’s message communicates, “Run, Hide, Fight.”
DPS spotted the white SUV on Banowsky Boulevard and LASD stopped the vehicle, arresting the driver and passenger. During LASD’s search of the vehicle, they found a BB gun, according to the statement.
Following the arrests, EOC sent three follow-up messages, updating the community on the situation.
The report also addressed student testimony of the lockdown button in Elkins Auditorium not functioning properly. Elkins Auditorium had undergone a software update the weekend prior, resulting in the lockdown button malfunctioning. The statement said staff verified that Elkins Auditorium still had the ability to lock down from a central location, despite the software malfunction. The software is now updated to prevent a similar recurrence.
The University reiterated its commitment to the safety of the Pepperdine community.
“These incidents also demonstrate the importance of a swift response, sound judgment, and immediate and ongoing communication with the community until the situation is resolved,” the University wrote in a statement.
The Student Government Association (SGA), in coordination with DPS, the Office of Emergency Services and Student Affairs will host an Emergency Response Training on Sept. 10 at 6:30 p.m. in Elkins.
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Contact Rachel Flynn via email: rachel.flynn@pepperdine.edu
