Belt Mistaken For Bullets Prompts Gun Scare At Pace University

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) – A belt that appeared to have ammunition attached prompted a gun scare at Pace University in Lower Manhattan.

Police were called to campus shortly before 2:30 p.m. Thursday for a possible gunman on the sixth floor.

New York Police Department Deputy Commissioner John Miller said callers reported seeing what they believed to be a man loading a machine gun from an ammunition belt in a men's bathroom stall.

Police tracked down the man and discovered the belt was simply a wardrobe item.

Meanwhile, the building was evacuated. Some students who saw social media posts about a possible gunman sheltered in place, barricading classroom doors.

A university spokeswoman later said everyone was safe and let back into the building.

(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)