PROVIDENCE, R.I. - A Brown University student from Northern Virginia says the hours after reports of a shooting on campus were marked by disbelief and fear.

Luca Gwathmey, a graduate of Alexandria City High School and an economics major at Brown, spoke with "The Final 5 with Jim Lokay" about what unfolded as students scrambled for information.

"It was pretty hectic," Gwathmey said. "When you start seeing texts about it, it feels almost like a joke — like a prank. I couldn’t compute what was happening."

Gwathmey said he was in his dorm with roommates when alerts began circulating, but immediately began checking on friends across campus — including one near the engineering school where the shooting was reported.

"It doesn’t really matter where you are — you’re going to be pretty close to it. People were running away from where it happened, while others were walking through the area without realizing what was going on."

Students shared updates in real time

Gwathmey said students relied on group texts and a campus social app called SideChat to share information as the situation evolved.

"Students did a pretty good job sharing information," he said. "I honestly think that saved lives. There was a lot of community — but it was very, very scary."

READ MORE: Brown University shooting: What we know about the victims

A generation trained for emergencies

Gwathmey said many students knew how to respond because they’ve grown up practicing lockdown drills — a reality he finds troubling.

JIM LOKAY: You’ve been trained for situations like this since you were young.
LUCA GWATHMEY: "It’s pretty horrific. It’s good people know what to do — but the fact that it’s necessary is scary and sad."

As Brown cancels classes and finals, many students have already left campus. Gwathmey remained in Providence through Monday.

"I feel OK. I feel safe," Gwathmey said. "But maybe that’s a false sense of security."

The Source: Information in this article comes from an interview with Luca Gwathmey and previous FOX 5 reporting.

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Brown student from Alexandria describes fear, confusion after campus shooting