In an email to Elon University students and staff, Smith Jackson, vice president for Student Life, alerted campus to a security notice that ended up being a prank.
At 9:41 p.m., a group of Elon students reported suspicious activity on Elon's campus, according to Jackson's email. The students reported that a silver truck stopped in the road and a person with orange hair and wearing a mask popped up from the bed of the truck. The person then pointed what seemed to be a small silver object in their direction. This happened while the students were walking toward the crosswalk on Haggard Avenue toward Carolina and Powell halls.
University Police stopped the truck on University Drive and determined that the suspect was a 15-year-old male attempting to scare people. No weapon matching the description was found in the truck, and police determined that the small silver object he was using to point was his finger. The boy was held until his parents came and picked him up. Both the driver and passenger have been banned from campus.
At the end of the email, Smith Jackson reminded students to call 911 first for the fastest response to an emergency, whether the emergency is on or off campus.