TWU reacts to campus threat

Texas Women's University in Denton went on lockdown the morning of March 1, after a student threatened to bring an assault rifle to campus.

According to The Dallas Morning News, authorities identified the student as 30 year old Christopher Alan Gillette.

Upset with the Veterans Affairs medical care, Gillette threatened to obtain the rifle and return, potentially to harm students.

After Gillette left the classroom, his professor dismissed the other students and contacted campus police who proceeded to put the school on lockdown.

Police found Gillette circling the parking lot of the VA hospital in Dallas and detained him.

There was no evidence of a weapon on Gillette or in his car; however police are still performing an investigation.

"He was calm. He was not making threats," Denton police Lt. Lenn Carter told The Dallas Morning News. "He was frustrated with the VA because he says he needs physical therapy and they are giving him pain medication."

Gillette was taken to jail on account of making a terroristic threat which can be punishable for up to a year in prison.

This was Gillette's first semester on campus, enrolled as a history major.

Although a women's university, TWU states that male students have been attending the school since the 1970's and that they make up 10 to 15 percent of the enrollment.

Students were informed of the lockdown through text message, e-mails and phone calls, all of which are alerts that are offered to students of DCCCD.

The emergency alerts registration page can be found under the "current students" tab on e-connect.

There, students are able to choose the ways they wish to be notified in case of any sort of on-campus closing or emergency.