At about 11:20 p.m. last night, the police dispatch received a call from a female student at Wilsdorf Hall reporting a sighting of a male with a gun.
University and Charlottesville police dispatched approximately a dozen officers, who evacuated and searched the building.
At 12:06 a.m., some police units had left the scene, but others remained and said they were checking the building for a second time. By 12:30 police were back in the building and on the roof with their guns drawn.
First-year Nursing student Claire Gentil said she was walking with friends in the area when police approached them with their guns drawn, telling them to get out of the way.
"We were on a walk and all of a sudden the cops came up," she said. "We were really frightened."
Gentil said she saw three people filming with cameras behind Wilsdorf who said they were working on a project. According to Gentil, the individuals mentioned guns and did not seem alarmed.
Fourth-year Engineering student Mansij Hans, who was in the nearby Chemistry building at the time of the incident, said "a girl came to the Chem lounge and knocked on the door and looked really scared ... We got her into the room and called the police."
About six to 10 students were escorted from Wilsdorf by police, and three females were taken away in a rescue car.
All three females were crying, and two of the females were supporting the third, who was unable to walk and was having difficulty breathing.
Reports indicate that three females were transported to the hospital for "panic attacks."
Gentil said she had been talking with the students before police evacuated the building and they were studying in Wilsdorf.
Upon investigating the scene, police found a plastic BB gun, according to University Police Capt. Michael Coleman, adding police found no ammunition.
Second-year College student Christopher Allen Smith was arrested for brandishing a weapon, Coleman said.
Smith and two other students were filming a class project, which included the use of a gun, Coleman said.
The professor of the class was contacted and said he was unaware of the use of a gun for the project, Coleman added.
Smith has been taken to the Charlottesville Magistrate's Office.
"It's up to the magistrate to decide" what course of action to take, Coleman said.
University policy states that students are not allowed to bring any type of projectile weapon on Grounds, which includes BB guns, Coleman explained.
If students had a need to use such a prop on Grounds, they must first notify their professor of the use of the prop and receive permission from the administration. If students obtain permission from these two sources, they must finally notify University police, Coleman said.
He said the University employed an all-hazards plan last night, which is a cooperative effort between police departments.
This was "a good example of teamwork between police departments," Coleman said.
In the wake of the Virginia Tech incidents, safety at the University is a top priority, indicated by themeasures taken to ensure the safety of the community last night.
"We have response plans and control plans for a variety type of incidents," Coleman said. "A combined response like this is something we plan for ... We are aware of the public information on the Virginia Tech shootings ... [and] we are always in the process of reviewing response plans."
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