SEATTLE -- The Seattle Pacific University campus was placed on a brief lockdown Saturday morning after a woman told campus security she had been chased by a gunman near campus, SPU officials said.

The woman was badly bruised and sitting in a parked car on the edge of SPU campus when police arrived. She told security a man with a rifle had chased her from W. Ewing Street.

Seattle police and campus security searched the area for 30 minutes and lifted the lockdown around 10 a.m.



After investigating, Seattle police determined the incident to be domestic violence related. Police said the alleged assault occurred on a houseboat near campus, and arrested both the alleged attacker and victim.



Police said they don't believe the woman's claim was entirely credible as officers did not find the rifle the woman said her attacker had.



SPU officials sent an alert around 9:20 a.m. to students and faculty stating the lockdown was not a drill, and anyone nearby needed to leave the area or find a place to hide.

When asked why a lockdown order was placed despite no weapon or gunman being seen on campus, school officials cited student body safety.

"We take security very seriously, it's a top priority for our students," Nathan Mouttet, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Marketing said. "Both because of what happened in the past, and because we want to give them the best information possible."



SPU tightened campus security after a gunman opened fire in 2014. On June 5, confessed shooter Aaron Ybarra killed one student and injured two others at Otto Miller Hall.

"We just take it so much more seriously, because we know their could be a moment when it's more significant than what took place this morning," Mouttet said. "But we're always vigilant."











