Four people were arrested after a disturbance at Catawba College early Monday, college President Brien Lewis said in a statement.

Those arrested came from off campus and are not associated with Catawba, Lewis said in the statement issued to the campus community.

Lewis called the incident an altercation and said that although some Catawba students were involved, “the persons who acted in a threatening manner were individuals not associated with Catawba.”

The incident happened shortly after midnight. Catawba students were told there may be an armed person on campus and advised to stay indoors until around 3:30 a.m., when campus officials lifted the advisory.

The four people arrested were in custody Monday morning, Lewis said in the statement. Their identities and the charges against them were not immediately available.

Lewis credited students, college staff and the Salisbury Police Department with identifying the people arrested.

“As the events unfolded in the early morning hours, our trained staff members opted to communicate details and instructions to our campus through our Catawba Alert System. We appreciate our community’s support and prompt compliance with those directives, as they are issued for the safety of all,” he wrote. “We also appreciate your willingness to help by communicating to the authorities issues or suspicious activities you may have seen yourself that were related to these off-campus individuals.”

Lewis said the four who were charged have been ordered not to trespass at Catawba College by college officials and the police department. For the time being, a Salisbury police officer will also be on campus to supplement Catawba’s own Public Safety Office.