A drive by shooting in Ames, Iowa disrupted the start of finals week for students at Iowa State University (ISU) on Monday night, after an individual was reportedly shot in the leg in a part of the city where many off-campus ISU students live.
Shortly after 11 p.m., the Ames Police Department took to Twitter to inform City of Ames residents that they are “working a drive by shooting” and that everyone should “stay away from Stanton Avenue between Knapp and Storm as it is a crime scene. This is NOT an active shooter situation.”
Ames PD is working a drive by shooting please stay away from Stanton Avenue between Knapp and Storm as it is a crime scene. This is NOT an active shooter situation.
— Ames Police (@AmesPolice) December 12, 2017
The Iowa State Daily reports that there’s one victim, who is expected to recover after being shot in the leg. However, the suspect reportedly got away in a small black sedan.
While the shooting didn’t take place on campus, it did happen very close to campus, near a part of Ames where many off-campus students live — so it directly effects ISU students. (Which makes it a little startling that students weren’t immediately notified of this shooting.)
Typically when a tragedy such as a crime happens on or near campus, an ISU alert is emailed to every student who’s signed up for the notifications. However, ISU students never received a notification regarding this crime.
When asked why an alert wasn’t sent out to the approximate 36,000 students, @ISUPD wrote via their Twitter that “there was not an ongoing or continued threat to the campus community.” ISU PD also said that as the shooting took place off campus, the issue was simply out of the campus police’s jurisdiction.
There was not an ongoing or continued threat to the campus community. The incident took place off campus and @AmesPolice is the primary agency. Social media can help out when an incident doesn’t meet qualifications for an ISU Alert.
— IowaStateU Police (@ISUPD) December 12, 2017
Although the City of Ames is a relatively safe city, this is the second drive-by shooting that’s happened near campus this year alone — and students (writer included) are a bit concerned.
In the wake of an unsolved homicide of a DMACC student that took place last month, where the Ames Police Department still has no leads, students who live close to the shooting are reaching out to one another to keep everyone safe. ISU students have been using social media and information from the ISU and Ames police scanners to keep each other informed and secure during this situation.
According to students who live on-campus, police officers thoroughly examined a dorm, Buchanan Hall, after a suspicious person was allegedly spotted outside the building.
“I have talked to the officer that was sent here to overlook the suspicious activity that was reported in the dorm,” An anonymous student who lives in this on-campus residence told Her Campus. “She said it wasn’t connected with the shooter on Stanton and that they have looked on each floor and Buchanan is cleared.”
UPDATE: There does not appear to be an imminent threat to the community despite the reported shooting last night. @AmesPolice is investigating the incident that took place off campus.
— IowaStateU Police (@ISUPD) December 12, 2017
Please contact @AmesPolice (515-239-5133) if you have info about the shooting last night. https://t.co/9GUxhrDYqd
— IowaStateU Police (@ISUPD) December 12, 2017
While the alleged search of Buchanan Hall was an unrelated event, the ISU Police Department has assured students that there’s no “imminent threat to the community.” Currently, police are still searching for any information regarding the shooting.