Montana State employee detained after lockdown

BOZEMAN (AP) — A Montana State University employee who was about to be fired from his job said he was suicidal and threatened to kill others, prompting a campus-wide lockdown Thursday until police found him and placed him in custody.

Students, employees and visitors were ordered to stay in locked rooms with window blinds drawn for nearly two hours while officers searched for the man. His identity was not immediately released.

MSU Police Chief Frank Parrish said the man had a 2 p.m. dismissal hearing scheduled, and officers knew he was on campus because he had purchased a parking pass that afternoon.

“The suspect stated to a family member that he was ready to end it all and he has all of his guns loaded. And he was ready to take out anyone with him,” Parrish said.

Officers then found a social media post by the man that said he was suicidal.

Parrish said authorities confirmed the man owns two shotguns and a rifle, but he didn’t have any weapons on him when he was arrested.

MSU spokesman Michael Becker said that people on campus appeared to comply with the alert to shelter in place. Parrish said the man was located in a university building where there were students.

The man was being detained Thursday afternoon but it wasn’t immediately clear if he will face charges.