Dear Colleagues:

Many of you are aware that an unusual event occurred on our campus this morning. I am happy to report to you that the incident was brought to a very quick conclusion by members of the UMB Police Force.

Shortly Before 10 A.M., Officer Anthony Brown reported over the radio that gunshots had been fired near Lexington and Greene Streets and that a suspect was seen fleeing in the direction of MLK Boulevard.

Within minutes, our officers apprehended the suspect and another man with him just across the boulevard, in the 700 block of W. Lexington Street. Handguns were found on both men.

One of the apprehended suspects told officers that two other men had tried to assault him, and he fired shots in self-defense. Those two would-be assailants fled north on Greene Street and haven't been found.

I want to commend the officers who responded so rapidly and efficiently. In addition to Officer Brown, who sounded the call, the arresting officers were PFCs Nicholson, Jones, Summers, and Edouazin; Cpl. Lewis; and Sgt. White.

Although an incident like this one is very unusual on our campus, even hearing about it second-hand can be disturbing. I hope we can all take comfort that our police officers are ready and able to handle any situation and preserve safety and security at UMB.

Sincerely,

Alice K. Cary, MS
UMB Chief of Police