Suspect in custody after shooting on UC Berkeley campus. No victims, police say
Gunfire on campus at UC Berkeley sparked terror among students and led to a shelter-in-place order Friday, though no one was injured.
Police arrested a single suspect after three or four shots were fired near the MLK Student Union, according to police radio communications and the student newspaper.
On Saturday, a university spokeswoman said the suspect, a 59-year-old man who is not affiliated with the campus, fired shots into the air about 8:40 p.m — when police were already “en route to the altercation” — and was taken into custody just one minute later.
“This was a lone actor,” said Janet Gilmore, the spokeswoman, in an email to The Times.
The man has not been identified. Gilmore, responding on behalf of university police, said the man would be booked by police “on several charges including possession of a loaded firearm and negligent discharge of a firearm.”
The student newspaper, the Daily Californian, posted on X that there were numerous reports of gunshots fired at the MLK Student Union.
UPDATE: The UC Berkeley WarnMe notification was not sent until 9:20 p.m. and described the incident as an “aggravated assault” at Lower Sproul Plaza. Hundreds remain sheltered in place in buildings on and around campus, but no injuries have been reported as of 9:25 p.m.
— The Daily Californian (@dailycal) February 10, 2024
The newspaper reported that police were looking for suspects and that one person had been detained near the scene.
Video shot by someone at the MLK Student Union building appeared to show students frantically running up a staircase. People could be heard yelling in the background.
The university sent out an email over its WarnMe platform Friday night informing students that a “violent crime” had occurred on campus, saying it had taken place at Lower Sproul Plaza.
The message, sent at 9:20 p.m., described the incident as an “aggravated assault.”
The shooting sparked some online criticism regarding the university’s warning system through which it alerts students to possibly dangerous events. The WarnMe message sent to students about the shooting came about 40 minutes after shots were first reported, according to the Daily Californian.
Gilmore said the shelter-in-place was lifted at 9:50 p.m. She did not respond to questions about the WarnMe message being dealyed.
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