Shooting Near University of Iowa Campus Leaves Five Wounded, Including Three Students

A shooting near the University of Iowa campus in Iowa City left five people wounded in the early hours of Sunday, with University of Iowa students among the injured, police and university officials said.

CBS News reported that the Iowa City Police Department responded to a report of a large fight in the 100 Block of East College Street at 1:46 a.m. early Sunday, and that arriving officers heard gunfire.

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CBS News added that police confirmed to CBS News that one person was in critical condition while the other four victims are stable, and that no arrests have been made as the investigation is ongoing.

The Iowa City Press-Citizen also said the shooting happened around 1:45 a.m. on April 19, a few blocks from the UI campus, after a downtown fight sparked a round of gunfire.

KCRG similarly described the incident as a fight at the Ped Mall in Iowa City early Sunday morning, with Iowa City Police saying officers were responding to a report of a fight at 1:46 a.m. when gunshots rang out.

NBC News said the police department responded to the 100 block of East College Street downtown at about 1:46 a.m. after it received a report of a large fight, and that officers who arrived heard gunfire.

Across the reports, the Pedestrian Mall area near the University of Iowa was closed for hours and then reopened Sunday afternoon or around noon, as officials continued investigating.

The incident unfolded in a narrow window that multiple outlets tied to the university’s emergency communications and police updates.

The University of Iowa issued a “HAWK ALERT” at 2:03 a.m. Sunday, the Iowa City Press-Citizen reported, to inform students that first responders were on scene and that there were “confirmed victims.”

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USA TODAY Network reported that the Hawk Alert told the community to avoid the Pedestrian Mall and that “while the investigation is in its early stages, there are no indications any university students were the intended victims.”

KCRG said the Ped Mall was closed because of the shooting and reopened Sunday around noon, while CBS News said the pedestrian mall was closed for several hours and reopened Sunday afternoon.

NBC News described the police response as beginning around 1:46 a.m., with gunfire heard by officers as they arrived, and it said the circumstances surrounding the altercation remain unclear.

The National News Desk outlet (WHO13) described the shooting as taking place downtown near the Pedestrian Mall after a large fight broke out shortly before 2 a.m. Sunday, and it said authorities later confirmed five people were injured.

Police and university officials also said no arrests had been made, and they directed attention toward identifying people connected to the shooting.

As the investigation continued, Iowa’s political leadership and university officials issued statements that repeatedly referenced the victims and the need for public cooperation.

Governor Kim Reynolds said in a statement that “This senseless act of violence has devastated the university community and our state,” and the Iowa City Press-Citizen quoted her saying she and her husband’s prayers “are with the victims and their families.”

Reynolds also said she had spoken with University of Iowa President Barbara Wilson and Board of Regents Chair Robert Cramer and assured them that “the full resources of the state are available to assist with the investigation.”

University of Iowa President Barb Wilson told the community in a statement that she was “thinking about these students and their families, friends, and all the people who care about them,” and she said, “I am holding them close in my thoughts, along with everyone in the community who is hurting or feeling shaken right now.”

In the same set of statements, Wilson encouraged the community to “rely on official university communications for updates,” and she said the university was in “close communication with local law enforcement.”

The Iowa Board of Regents president Robert Cramer said, “Our hearts are heavy, and our prayers are with the victims, their families and anyone affected by this horrific incident,” and he added that “The safety of all the faculty, staff and students at our universities is the highest priority to the Iowa Board of Regents.”

Iowa City Mayor Bruce Teague said the city was “grateful for the quick actions taken by our Iowa City Police Officers and other first responders,” and he said, “Violence has no place here.”

Police and university officials said the shooting was connected to a downtown fight and that investigators were working to identify people associated with the incident.

CBS News said police confirmed to CBS News that one person was in critical condition while the other four victims are stable, and it reported that police are seeking information about five “persons of interest associated with this shooting.”

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KWQC said the Iowa City Police Department was investigating a shooting at the Ped Mall near the University of Iowa campus, and it reported that police had identified five victims, one in critical condition, and that no one had been arrested.

Fox News said police were looking for multiple people of interest and released photos of five persons of interest, asking anyone with information or video footage to contact Detective Cade Burma.

The Iowa City Press-Citizen said the Iowa City Police Department identified five individuals tied to the Sunday morning shooting and released a photo of the five males, each wearing a hooded sweatshirt.

NBC News said police indicated that no arrests have been made and that they are looking for multiple people of interest captured on security video, and it also said there is “no known ongoing threat associated with this incident.”

Officials also provided direct contact details for Detective Cade Burma, including the email [email protected] and phone number 319-356-5275, in multiple outlets’ reporting.

While the core details were consistent across outlets—five injured, three University of Iowa students, and no arrests—different reports emphasized different aspects of the incident and the surrounding context.

CBS News described the response as beginning with a report of a large fight at 1:46 a.m. in the 100 Block of East College Street and said arriving officers heard gunfire, while NBC News similarly tied the police response to the 100 block of East College Street at about 1:46 a.m. and said the circumstances surrounding the altercation remain unclear.

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The Iowa City Press-Citizen focused on the downtown setting near Clinton and E. College Street and listed nearby bars including Donnelly's Pub, TCB Pool Hall, Reunion Brewery, Brother's Bar and Grill, and the Stuffed Olive, while USA TODAY Network emphasized the Pedestrian Mall’s reopening and the Hawk Alert guidance to avoid the area.

KCRG and KWQC both highlighted that three University of Iowa students were among those wounded, but KCRG also stated that “at this point, the students aren’t believed to have been the intended victims,” and it included Wilson’s message to rely on official university communications.

Fox News used the language of a “mass shooting” and described police scrambling to secure the area as the suspect remained at large, while NBC News and CBS News did not use that framing in the same way.

The National News Desk (WHO13) included mental health resources and crisis hotline numbers alongside the official statements, while CBS News and NBC News focused more directly on police status updates and victim conditions.

Even the timing of the initial call was described slightly differently, with the Iowa City Press-Citizen saying the gunfire was sparked around 1:45 a.m., April 19, while CBS News and KCRG said 1:46 a.m.

The immediate next steps described by the outlets centered on the ongoing investigation, public assistance to identify persons of interest, and continued safety messaging for the university community.

CBS News said no arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing, and it reported that police were seeking information about five persons of interest associated with the shooting.

NBC News similarly said police indicated that no arrests have been made and that they are looking for multiple people of interest captured on security video, while also stating “There is no known ongoing threat associated with this incident.”

USA TODAY Network reported that the Hawk Alert told community members to continue to avoid the Pedestrian Mall as police continue their investigation, and it reiterated that “there are no indications any university students were the intended victims.”

The Iowa City Press-Citizen said the Iowa City Police Department encouraged residents with additional information or video footage to share it with Detective Cade Burma at [email protected] or 319-356-5275, and it also described the department releasing a photo of five males wearing hooded sweatshirts.

Fox News added that anonymous tips can be submitted through Crime Stoppers online at iccrimestoppers.org, or by phone at 319-358-TIPS (8477), in addition to contacting Detective Cade Burma.

As the Ped Mall reopened, the reporting still emphasized that the investigation was continuing and that the public’s cooperation could help investigators identify those responsible.