False report of active shooter at UMMC

Due to an erroneous message, reports surfaced Friday morning there was an active shooter on the University of Mississippi Medical Center Campus in Jackson.

According to Bruce Coleman, assistant director of internal communication with UMMC, an "errant message" was sent out via the notification center.

"There is no active shooter, we are asking everyone now to disregard the message," Coleman said.

The subject line read, "EXTERNAL ALERT U- Active Shooter."

The body of the message read, "Active shooter on UMMC campus. This is not a drill. RUN to safety or HIDE in locked room or FIGHT as a last resort. Police are responding. Standby for more information form UMMC."

Jackson Police Department Commander Tyree Jones said his department did not received a call for help.

Coleman said the message was "mistakenly done during a routine test of the system."

"It was a test message that was supposed to be internal," he said. "Instead, it mistakenly got broadcast."

Coleman said UMMC is sorry for the error but "happy that the system works and obviously people will be notified in an emergency."

Contact Sarah Fowler at sfowler@gannett.com or 601-961-7303. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.