VIDEO: Southern Adventist University lockdown cleared, caused by 'credible threat'

Thursday, January 23, 2014

photo Southern Adventist University while it was on lockdown.

James Gaines has been detained at Collegedale Police Department whose "credible threat" against Southern Adventist University prompted a two-hour lockdown there.

Collegedale police released Gaines' name at a 5:30 p.m. news conference.

Gaines was never on campus, no shots were fired there, and no one was injured, police public information officer Tonya Sadler said.

Gaines had not been arrested, she said during a press conference just before 3 p.m.

"The suspect was [upset] over some delayed paperwork," Sadler said.

The lockdown began at 12:17 p.m. and was lifted at 2:25 p.m., according to texts and emails sent to students by campus safety and the university. The lockdown included the Adventist elementary, middle and high school across the street.

Gaines made the threats shortly after noon at Chattanooga State Community College, because he was upset at a delay in getting paperwork from Southern Adventist University, police public information officer David Myrick said.

During the lock-down, police handcuffed and searched students inside Talge Hall, the men's dormitory, after getting reports of shots fired there.

But they found Gaines off-campus. He's in custody with charges pending.