Police respond to report of shots fired near MU campus

Columbia police are currently investigating a report of shots fired near MU campus.

An alert was sent out just after 12:30 Saturday morning notifying students and anyone in the area to “take precautions” but it didn’t say where it happened.

ABC17 News talked with some students and staff on campus Saturday to find out what they thought about the alert.

Some people on twitter responded to the alert, asking if the school could specify the location.

One teaching assistant said saying something happens “near MU campus” is too broad of a term.

“I’m slightly upset by the vagueness of the email,” said Josh Huber, a graduate assistant. “They often send these out [where] that’s not very specific and when you’re saying shots were fired somewhere around the MU campus, that encompasses a large area.”

He also added that adding a location might keep people from getting panicked.

“I suppose you don’t really want people showing up to check it out,” he said. “It would be nice to have some more specificity because that seems like a way to induce a general panic among the people receiving the emails.”

It apparently happened during a fight at Campus Bar & Grill on 9th and Elm Street.

Police say one individual shot a gun into the air, and then headed south toward campus. Witnesses were able to provide a license plate number to police.

No description of the suspect is available at this time. Police ask that you call MUPD (882-7201) if you see anything suspicious on campus and Columbia Police (442-6131) if you witness anything off campus.

ABC 17 News is continuing to reach out to officials and will update this story as soon we get any further information.