Law enforcement at the University of Colorado, Boulder, responding to reports of shots fired in Norlin Library on Aug. 25, 2025. (Sagan Randall/CU Independent)
The University of Colorado Boulder has lifted its main campus-wide shelter in place order in all locations as of 8:18 p.m.
Any students who left personal property inside the library are being directed to meet CU Police officers at the east side doors of Norlin to be escorted inside and retrieve their belongings between 8:30 and 11 p.m.
Norlin Library will reopen during its normal business hours Tuesday Aug. 26.
Those who are unable to retrieve their belongings tonight should go to the security office located at room M298 on the second floor of Norlin Library during normal business hours Tuesday, according to CU.
The CU Police Department is currently investigating the swatting incident that occurred Monday evening at the library.
CU originally issued the campus-wide shelter in place on Monday at approximately 4:54 p.m. citing police activity near Norlin Library.
At 5:28 p.m. the university issued an additional alert announcing the investigation of shots fired at the library.
A student walks on campus near a police car responding to a report of a threat on Aug. 25, 2025. (Sagan Randall/CU Independent)
CU Boulder Sophomore Alexis Vandenbosch said she was standing across the street from the Duane Physics building at around 4:30 p.m. building when she, “started hearing sirens.”
“Cops started showing up right outside Norlin, right by the stop for the Buff Bus,” she said. “There was a huge crowd at the bus stop by Norlin, because it’s the end of the day.”
“It seemed like they were telling people to leave,” Vandenbosch said. “People just started running from the library and the bus stop.”
Police at the University of Colorado Boulder, responding to reports of shots fired in Norlin Library on Aug. 25, 2025. (Sagan Randall/CU Independent)
Boulder SWAT teams cleared Sewall Hall, a residence hall located just hundreds of feet from Norlin Library. Megan Levy, a student who lives in Sewall, was in the residence hall when they cleared the building.
Levy said that the SWAT team told them to return to their rooms when she and another person approached the front desk of the building.
“They said, yeah go to your rooms. We got a SWAT call and we’re checking to see, checking it out. And then they asked us if you heard any gunshots,” she said.
Jackie Rivera was in Eaton Humanities Building, also near Norlin, when she heard about the threat on campus.
“So I actually didn’t first see the notification. We had somebody raise their hand in class and ask if there was actually a shooter on campus, which was actually a really stressful way to find out. I feel like that caused instant panic,” she said.
Rivera said that although the information sent out was “vague,” she was glad that the university communicated in different ways. She said that she received both and text email alerts, and her Resident Assistant also texted in a hall Groupme chat.
Police outside Norlin Library at University of Colorado Boulder, responding to reports of shots fired on Aug. 25, 2025. (Sagan Randall/CU Independent)
CU Boulder students also communicated directly with police officers on scene. Patrick Dawson was headed for the area around Norlin Library when he saw police cruisers and SWAT vehicles in the area.
Dawson spoke with an approaching police officer who told a group of students to leave.
“He said they were responding to reports of a shooter, someone with a rifle inside of the library,” Dawson said. “But they didn’t know, he didn’t know for sure if it was a hoax, like a swatting, or if it was a legitimate threat.”
There are no reported injuries or a suspect, but the incident remains under investigation according to CU.
*This is a breaking story and will be updated.
