Bemidji college threat call ends with no physical danger

A threat call at Northwest Technical College in Bemidji ended without physical danger after officers quickly located an upset student, calmed the situation and secured the building.

Bemidji police responded at about 10:40 a.m. April 15 after the student entered an occupied classroom and said, “I need a gun” and “bring me a gun.” Officers used crisis intervention techniques to de-escalate the situation, and police later determined there was no physical threat. The student was taken to Sanford Bemidji Medical Center for psychiatric evaluation.

The response drew help from the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office, the Minnesota State Patrol and Bemidji State Public Safety. Police said the building was secured before the lockdown was lifted, a sequence that matters for anyone on campus because even a short-lived weapon threat can send students, instructors and staff into a full safety response in a matter of minutes. The case remained under investigation.

Northwest Technical College is at 905 Grant Avenue SE in Bemidji and says its Public Safety Department is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For emergencies, the college directs people to call 911. For non-emergency public safety concerns, the number is 218-755-3888.

The school also uses NTC Alert, its emergency notification system, to send brief messages about campus closures and neighborhood emergencies as they happen. Those alerts are meant to tell students, employees and registered community members the location, the nature of the emergency and recommended safety steps.

For a college that has prepared students for high-demand fields for more than 50 years, the episode was a reminder of how quickly a classroom disturbance can become a campus-wide safety issue. In this case, officers moved fast, the scene was contained and the situation was resolved without physical harm.