Executive Summary
- A shelter-in-place order was issued to University of Iowa students on Friday afternoon following reports of gunfire near campus.
- The Iowa City Police Department responded to the 900 block of E. Burlington Street, where officers recovered evidence of gunfire.
- Authorities later deemed the event an “isolated incident” with no ongoing threat, lifting the campus alert and allowing normal activities to resume.
- The police investigation into the shots-fired incident remains ongoing.
A shelter-in-place order for University of Iowa students was lifted Friday afternoon after police determined a nearby shots-fired incident was an isolated event with no ongoing threat to the public. The Iowa City Police Department is actively investigating the occurrence, which prompted a series of campus-wide emergency alerts.
The incident began shortly before 1:30 p.m. when authorities responded to reports of a shooting in the 900 block of E. Burlington Street. The University of Iowa issued its first “Hawk Alert” at 1:51 p.m., advising students of gunshots reported near campus and urging them to shelter in place.
Initial alerts provided conflicting information regarding a suspect’s direction of travel on foot. A subsequent notification at 2:15 p.m. clarified that the incident originated off-campus but advised students to remain vigilant and continue sheltering. Witnesses reported hearing gunshots, and responding officers recovered evidence of gunfire at the scene.
By 2:30 p.m., authorities had declared the situation contained, stating in a final alert that it was an “isolated incident.” Students were permitted to resume normal activities while being encouraged to remain aware of their surroundings. The police investigation into the matter is ongoing.