University Of Illinois Accidentally Sends Out 'Shooter' Alert Email To Students

Just one day after administrators at the University of Illinois approved a 6.9 percent tuition hike, those on the Urbana-Champaign campus received a terrifying message: there was an "active shooter" on campus.

According to the Chicago Tribune, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's police department accidentally sent out a mass alert warning of an "active shooter" and telling students to escape the "area if safe to do so or shield/secure your location."

Just ten minutes later, however, U of I police Chief Barbara O'Connor sent the following message to those who received the original warning, according to the the News-Gazette:

PLEASE DISREGARD THE ILLINI-ALERT MESSAGE SENT REGARDING THE ACTIVE SHOOTER ON CAMPUS! The Illini-Alert message was sent accidently. We sincerely apologize for this accident.

The university also used its @Illinois_Alma Twitter account to notify students, faculty and staff of the false alarm:

The university press office told the Tribune a worker updating the emergency message template accidentally sent the message instead of saving it. Though it was corrected quickly, it scared quite a few people first:

Comments

[penndl]

10:38 AM on 03/26/2011

A black man who lives in the area, walks along a public street that passes through the campus and they call a "shooter alert"? Or was there another reason and what was it?

[skullman]

09:59 AM on 03/25/2011

"PLEASE DISREGARD THE ILLINI-ALERT MESSAGE SENT REGARDING THE ACTIVE SHOOTER ON CAMPUS! The Illini-Alert message was sent accidently. We sincerely apologize for this accident."

They could have just said "nevermind".

Maybe this makes me old but when I was in college there was no e mail, and nobody had a cellphone.

[WiltonDiary]

03:07 AM on 03/25/2011

Where was Robin Kaler?

[EverthingThatRises]

01:37 AM on 03/25/2011

My college once "accidentally" sent out a hostage alert text message at 4:00 am telling us to take cover for safety. It took them an hour to send a retraction text, I was seriously freaked out

[frank day]

09:06 PM on 03/24/2011

I don't know whether to be angry, cry, or laugh.

What a bunch of bozos.

[kemcha]

04:37 PM on 03/24/2011

Universities and colleges raise tuition every year and then they decide to sent out a shooter alert, terrorizing every student on campus? University officials should be charged with inciting the public with a false alert. Talk about compromising public safety.

[yetiwatcher]

08:46 PM on 03/24/2011

the prosecution would likely have to show the university police intentionally sent out false information,
mistakes are made in almost any setting, are they not?

to the credit of UIUC-PD they called it exactly what it was - error to be disregarded - in a matter of minutes, that's a lot better than the lies one can often expect from university administrators/police forces these days

[kemcha]

09:06 PM on 03/24/2011

error to be disregarded? if it was an error than the person who sent out the alert should be terminated from their employment at the university.

[pattio66]

03:49 PM on 03/24/2011

Actually, there was a huge fire on the UI campus yesterday. It started around 7:40 AM local time, emergency responders had both of Campustown's main arteries, Wright Street and Green Street, blocked. A text was supposed to go out to advise university employees to plan alternate routes to get to work yesterday. It's a pity, Zorba's Restaurant had been here since 1973 and was really popular.

[wwhitfie81]

03:58 PM on 03/24/2011

I used to go to Zorbas every now and then.

[pattio66]

04:02 PM on 03/24/2011

Being a townie, I generally avoid campus during the school year...but I always enjoyed eating at Zorba's. With any luck, the current owner may reopen in a different facility.

[WiltonDiary]

03:10 AM on 03/25/2011

The mayor of Champaign is a birther, sure says alot about a University town.

[FireInMyBelly]

03:40 PM on 03/24/2011

Great job guys! First you jack up the prices for the student's tuition, and then you scare them to death.

[yetiwatcher]

08:47 PM on 03/24/2011

who died when they sent out the alert?

[WiltonDiary]

03:11 AM on 03/25/2011

the trolls!

[jdevans]

03:14 PM on 03/24/2011

U of I students are on Spring Break this week, so the mistake isn't quite as serious as it would be otherwise.

[debbiejoy]

03:12 PM on 03/24/2011

How do you "accidently" send an email saying there is a shooter on campus????

[5SpdSolara]

03:04 PM on 03/24/2011

Somebody must have hit the wrong shortcut key. This kind of thing happens all the time at various U.S. nuclear missile launch locations.

[yetiwatcher]

08:49 PM on 03/24/2011

that's hardly a viable analogy,
the (potential) damage done in the this situation vs a missile launch... not a meaningful comparison, therefore a different level of safeguards in place

[juzcuz]

02:50 PM on 03/24/2011

Is Univ of IL one of the colleges that's allowed to carry a concealed weapon? I'm surprised with the phoney shooter alert... the entire campus didn't look like a bad western movie. This could happen eventually at some of the state's colleges where they're trying to pass gun permits on campus... will be a regular shoot'em up NOT ok at the corral scene. Disaster looking to happen.

[Mrguitar]

03:21 PM on 03/24/2011

What? Illinois doesn't even have a conceal and carry law. So no, students are not allowed guns on campus. By the way, name one "western movie, shoot 'em up" scenario that has taken place due to conceal and carry.

[WiltonDiary]

03:12 AM on 03/25/2011

I-95 at 5:00 PM in Miami!

[pattio66]

03:46 PM on 03/24/2011

IL doesn't have a concealed carry permit

[bogeychef]

02:36 PM on 03/24/2011

Good thing this wasn't a Texas College there would have been a huge shootout.

[Mrguitar]

03:24 PM on 03/24/2011

Evidence of huge shootouts taking place between students on Texas campuses please...

[frank day]

09:07 PM on 03/24/2011

Duh. The Alamo.

[ssmigs]

02:32 PM on 03/24/2011

They jumped the gun on this one.

[Mattcat25]

02:36 PM on 03/24/2011

Imagine if this were to take place in Texas?

[RevJimIII]

04:13 PM on 03/25/2011

Where concealed carry has already been allowed on the property and nothing has happened, Utay allows CCW on campus.. nothing bad has happened.. over 70 campuses allow CCW and nothing bad has happened there either... 
 
What am I imagining?

[Mattcat25]

02:16 PM on 03/24/2011

"AAAAAAUGHHH!!"