The Ball State University campus was warned of a possible armed gunman Wednesday afternoon because of students playing a game with foam dart guns.  IPR’s Stephanie Wiechmann explains.

Just after 2:00 PM, university officials sent out an alert saying to “shelter in place.”  It described a man dressed in all black and a green bandana with a “long rifle.”

It was the green bandana that led some students to correctly guess the person was playing “Humans V. Zombies.”  The game has been played on college campuses since 2005 and Ball State is running its spring game this week.  Players are equipped with a foam dart gun – usually black, with a clear barrel and an orange tip – and asked to wear a green bandana.

Twenty minutes later, an “all clear” notice was given and university spokeswoman Joan Todd confirmed that no actual threat to campus was found.  In a statement Wednesday evening, Ball State officials confirmed the man was playing “Humans V. Zombies” but did not name him.

Todd still encourages anyone who sees something suspicious on campus to report it to authorities.