UPDATE: Shortly after 9:00 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, Springfield Police Department spokeswoman Jasmine Bailey told KSMU in an email that the department had "not yet arrested a suspect" in the incident.
UPDATED 7:32 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21: MSU has sent the campus community a message saying four shots "were randomly fired" from an SUV driving north on National Avenue. "Two bullets hit Monroe Apartments, penetrated the walls and entered two rooms," according to the university alert. There were no injuries and there is no further danger to campus, the alert said. The message did not mention whether a anyone was in custody related to the incident.
UPDATED 6:54 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21: Springfield Police Department Tweeted at 6:25 p.m., "There was NOT an active shooter situation tonight at or near MSU’s campus. A caller heard four shots, two bullets struck Monroe Apartments. No injuries. Officers are on scene collecting evidence."
Original article is below:
Missouri State University issued a set of emergency alerts Saturday evening informing the campus community that there were reports of gunshots fired at "Monroe House" at 1141 East Bear Boulevard in Springfield.
After the initial warnings, the university's alert system followed up at 6:27 p.m. to say the Springfield Police Department was investigating the incident and there was "no threat to the campus and normal activity can resume."
The first emergency phone call went out at 6:04 p.m. Saturday, informing the campus community about a report of gunshots and instructing people to avoid the area. At the same time, a text went out through the campus system mentioning an "active shooter," but did not give a location.
That initial text was quickly followed by two subsequent texts--one at 6:12 and another at 6:20 p.m.
The 6:12 p.m. text said that gunshots had been fired at Monroe House but there was "no active shooter threat at this time."
The emergency text issued at 6:20 p.m. instructed the public to "avoid the area," repeating that there was no active shooter threat at that time.
A spokeswoman for the university, Suzanne Shaw, told KSMU she did not immediately have any additional information on the incident.
An automated emergency alert phone message encouraged anyone to report suspicious activity by calling 9-1-1.
MSU's Residence Life, Housing and Dining Services website lists Monroe Apartments at 1141 E. Bear Boulevard as among its student housing, saying the facility offers apartments to upper-class students on 10-month contracts.
According to MSU's website, the university uses the Missouri State Alert system in the following situations:
Immediate threats/violent situations on campus
Security alerts
University closings
Severe weather alerts
Emergency situations of an extreme nature
Periodic testing
The system is not used for advertisements, marketing messages, or to communicate events.