NEW CONCORD, Ohio — The Muskingum County Sheriff’s Office said there was no shooting at Muskingum University after departments responded to reports of a possible shooter Monday evening.

What You Need To Know

  • The sheriff's office was still investigating Monday evening

  • The sheriff said it's believed it was a misunderstanding from a staff member who misheard students

  • After interviewing students and checking buildings, officials had lifted the shelter in place

In a press conference Monday night, Muskingum County Sheriff Matt Lutz said the report of a possible shooting, which came in around 6 p.m., was due to a staff member misunderstanding students who were talking about a loud domestic dispute that had happened earlier. Lutz added he thought the dispute got "blown out of proportion on social media."

“It was relayed to law enforcement that there was a person with a hostage or something to the effect of a person with a gun,” he said in a statement.

Lutz said the response took 10 minutes. After interviewing students and checking buildings, including three seperate floors of dorms, officials found no evidence of a shooting, so the shelter in place was lifted, according to Lutz.

Initially, Muskingum University had posted on its website that a possible shooting had been reported and that everyone on campus should shelter in place until further notice.

Lutz added he would rather people say something and it be a mistake than having people not say anything at all. Lutz also said there is no longer a threat.

The liberal arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian Church is about 70 miles (113 kilometers) east of Columbus. It has more than 2,100 undergraduate and graduate students, according to its website.