Man arrested, accused of making false threat at Stanly County university to rob nearby bank

Misenheimer, N.C. — A man, who was arrested in Charlotte Thursday night, is accused of making a false threat of an active shooter at a university in Stanly County to rob a nearby bank, authorities said.

Around 1 p.m., officials said they received an unconfirmed phone call that multiple individuals were deceased after a gunman opened fire on Pfeiffer University’s Misenheimer campus.

The Misenheimer Police Department responded and closed the campus to investigate further. A temporary lockdown was implemented as a precautionary measure for the safety of students, faculty and staff.

According to the Stanly County Sheriff, the campus was cleared and there is no indication of an active shooter situation at the school.

The lockdown was lifted around 2 p.m., school officials said.

[Man in custody for robbing Stanly County bank, sheriff’s office says]

At the time of the reported shooting, the Stanly County Sheriff’s Office said the First Bank in nearby Richfield was robbed.

The robber left the scene with an undisclosed amount of money, according to the sheriff’s office.

Officials said they responded to the robbery, secured the scene began to investigate.

Friday, officials determined that 45-year-old Kelvin Wayne Simmons called in the false threat of an active shooter on the campus to divert police from the bank robbery.

The Stanly County Sheriff’s Office said they secured warrants for Simmons and were able to locate him with assistance from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

[SWAT responds to north Charlotte hotel]

Simmons was taken into custody by SWAT at the Days Inn on Sunset Road off of Interstate 77 in Charlotte before being transported back to Stanly County.

He has been charged with robbery with a dangerous weapon and filing a false report of mass violence on educational property.

This is a developing story. Check wsoctv.com for updates.

(WATCH BELOW: No injuries reported in Stanly County bank robbery, sheriff’s office says)

No injuries reported in Stanly County bank robbery, sheriff’s office says

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