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

A shooting early Sunday near the University of Iowa campus in Iowa City, Iowa, left five people injured, including at least three University of Iowa students, according to multiple reports from police and university officials.

“"First responders on scene”

ABC11 Raleigh-Durham

Iowa City police said the gunfire erupted after a "large fight" broke out on a pedestrian mall around 1:46 a.m. local time, and officers responded near the intersection of East College St. and St. Clinton Street, just east of the University of Iowa campus.

ABC11 Raleigh-Durham

ABC11 Raleigh-Durham and ABC7 Los Angeles both quoted the university alert saying, "First responders on scene. Confirmed victims," while police said, "Arriving officers heard gunfire. First responders on scene. Confirmed victims," in a statement about the shooting.

KWQC reported that the Iowa City Police Department is investigating a shooting that happened early Sunday morning at the Ped Mall near the University of Iowa campus, and that police said five people were injured with one in critical condition.

CBS News similarly said 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., and that arriving officers heard gunfire.

The New York Times added that the shooting took place shortly before 2 a.m. as a fight broke out at the downtown pedestrian plaza as described by the city, and it described city images of five persons of interest.

PBS News and Iowa Public Radio both reported that multiple victims were transported to area hospitals, with one person in critical condition and four others stable, and that no arrests had been made as of Sunday morning.

Across reports, the timeline of the incident centered on the early-morning hours when gunfire followed a fight on the Ped Mall near the University of Iowa.

ABC11 Raleigh-Durham said the "large fight" broke out on the pedestrian mall around 1:46 a.m. local time, and it placed the shooting near the intersection of East College St. and St. Clinton Street, just east of the University of Iowa campus.

ABC7 Los Angeles

KWQC likewise said the shooting happened around 1:46 a.m. when a large fight broke out in the 100 block of East College Street, and it added that as officers were arriving, they heard gunshots.

KGAN reported that the university issued a Hawk Alert at 1:51 a.m. warning of gunfire and advising the public to stay away from the area, and it said first responders were on the scene by 2:03 a.m.

KGAN also described that by 2:31 a.m., police were continuing to investigate and asked people to avoid the area and remain aware of their surroundings, and it quoted a later update at 3:36 a.m. saying, "ICPD continues to investigate. Remain vigilant. Report any info or suspicious activity to law enforcement 319-358-TIPS."

Iowa Public Radio reported that ICPD blocked off a large section of the Pedestrian Mall early Sunday morning for what appeared to be forensic analysis, and it said police reported there is no known ongoing threat to the public.

NBC News added that the Iowa City Police Department responded at approximately 1:46 a.m. after receiving a report of a large fight, and it said officers who arrived on the scene heard gunfire.

Multiple outlets also described the scene as a downtown area with bars and restaurants, with AP saying officers were responding to reports of a large fight in a nightlife district close to a pedestrian mall filled with bars and restaurants when they heard shots being fired.

University and state leaders issued statements while police investigated, and several outlets quoted the same language about concern for victims and the need for public support.

“3 students, 2 others shot along nightlife district near the University of Iowa, authorities say 3 students, 2 others shot along nightlife district near the University of Iowa, authorities say IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A shooting during a fight in a nightlife district near the University of Iowa campus wounded five people early Sunday, including three students, police and university officials said”

AP News

University of Iowa President Barb Wilson told staff and faculty, "While we await additional information, I am thinking about these students and their families, friends, and all the people who care about them," and she added, "I am holding them close in my thoughts, along with everyone in our community who is hurting or feeling shaken right now."

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds posted on X, "Kevin's and my prayers this morning are with the victims of the shooting in Iowa City and their families," and she said, "This senseless act of violence has devastated the university community and our state."

ABC11 Raleigh-Durham reported that Reynolds said she had spoken with University of Iowa President Barbara Wilson and Board of Regents Chair Robert Cramer and that "the full resources of the state are available to assist with the investigation."

PBS News quoted Wilson again and said the university issued several alerts advising students to stay away from the area, including an alert stating, "While the investigation is in its early stages, there are no indications any university students were the intended victims."

The Iowa Board of Regents message, carried by KGAN, said, "The safety of all the faculty, staff and students at our universities is the highest priority to the Iowa Board of Regents."

Police also directed the public to avoid the area, with ABC11 saying police told people to avoid the area and that there were no immediate announcements of any arrests made.

In parallel, police released photos of persons of interest, and CBS News said the pedestrian mall was closed for several hours and reopened Sunday afternoon.

Police and media outlets emphasized identification efforts for persons of interest and provided ways for the public to help investigators.

KWQC said investigators are trying to identify persons of interest associated with the shooting and that the persons of interest have been numbered to assist in the sharing of information, while it also asked viewers to contact Detective Cade Burma at [email protected] or call 319-356-5275.

CBS News

Iowa Public Radio similarly encouraged the public to call Detective Cade Burma at 319-356-5275 and said police released images of five people of interest and were asking for help identifying them.

CBS News said police were seeking information about five "persons of interest associated with this shooting" and that the university also shared the request for information.

The New York Times described city images of five persons of interest showing young men in athletic attire and said officials asked the public to help identify them and offered a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest.

Fox News reported that police were asking for help identifying five persons of interest and that police shared photos showing what appeared to be a group of males walking on a sidewalk, with one photo showing five individuals and a second showing four individuals.

KGAN reported that by 3:36 a.m. police said, "ICPD continues to investigate. Remain vigilant. Report any info or suspicious activity to law enforcement 319-358-TIPS."

Across outlets, police also said there were no arrests made as of Sunday morning, including ABC11, CBS News, and AP, and they said they were continuing to investigate and asking people to avoid the area.

As the investigation continued, outlets described ongoing efforts to determine what happened during the fight and whether any university students were targeted, while also emphasizing immediate safety steps and support resources.

“Coverage for this event has ended”

Fox News

PBS News reported that the university issued alerts advising students to stay away from the area and quoted an alert saying, "While the investigation is in its early stages, there are no indications any university students were the intended victims."

Fox News

Iowa Public Radio said police reported there is no known ongoing threat to the public, and it described that ICPD had blocked off a large section of the Pedestrian Mall for what appeared to be forensic analysis.

ABC11 and CBS News both said there were no immediate announcements of any arrests made in connection with the shooting, and they described the investigation as ongoing.

The New York Times added that campus support resources, including counseling services and the campus therapy dog, were made available on Sunday for students and staff members.

NBC News said the circumstances surrounding the altercation remain unclear and that no arrests have been made, while it reported that University of Iowa Health Care received patients from the incident and was evaluating the severity of their injuries.

Iowa Public Radio reported that University of Iowa President Barbara Wilson said the university is in close communication with law enforcement and that University of Iowa Police are supporting ICPD in its investigation.

With police continuing to investigate and asking the public to identify persons of interest, the next steps described by outlets centered on tips and identification efforts rather than arrests already announced.