Providence Journal video by Steve Szydlowski
SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. -- No gun was seen. No gun was found and State Police Capt. Frank Castellone said no one was ever in danger.
After an extensive search and investigation by the R.I. State Police, South Kingstown and University of Rhode Island Campus police, there is no evidence of any gunman on the URI campus.
They did however find two Nerf guns that belonged to a student who was in the Chafee building auditorium. That was where a professor and another student reported hearing someone say, "I'm a nice guy, I have a gun," according to Castellone.
There is a game going on this campus and others called Humans versus Zombies that involved students shooting each other with Nerf guns. Castellone says police are still investigating whether that game is connected with this incident. URI president David Dooley said the game has gone on for years without any problems but it may be reviewed in the future.
Some students suffered very minor injuries when people panicked and ran from the auditorium. No one was taken to the hospital, according to URI Maj. Stephen Baker.
Castellone emphasized that no one actually saw a gun. Police are still interviewing witnesses. The report drew media from Massachusetts and across Rhode Island. Satellite trucks lined a road within view of the Chafee building.
Providence Journal photo/Bob Thayer
State police K-9 units move toward the Chafee Social Science Center building after the property was cleared of students. The K-9 units searched room-to-room. See more photos...
An earlier version of this report was posted at 3:24 p.m.