Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:
Last night, around 11 p.m. a shooting occurred in the City of Syracuse, near the Syracuse University campus, in the 600 block of Walnut Avenue. The Syracuse City Police were on the scene when the incident occurred and there was no active threat to the University community.
Because there was no active threat, the Orange Alert system was not activated. As the Chief of Public Safety at Syracuse, I have determined that this was appropriate and consistent with protocol. An Orange Alert is only utilized for situations in which there is an immediate threat of physical harm to members of the campus community.
In this situation, there was no ongoing threat to the campus and the incident began and ended within minutes, as our Department of Public Safety (DPS) officers arrived minutes later. Later in the evening, after working with the Syracuse City Police, DPS issued a campus wide email reiterating there was no threat to the campus from the incident. To learn more about our Orange Alert system, please visit our website. There, you can also learn how to review and modify your contact information.
However, I do recognize the incident’s proximity to our campus is concerning. As Chief of the Department of Public Safety (DPS) my chief priority is and always will be the safety and well-being of each member of our campus community.
Last night’s events were unsettling and I want to remind you that a variety of counseling services are available. Students, for 24 hours a day, seven days a week counseling support, please contact the Counseling Center at 315.443.4715. Additional services are also provided by the Office of Student Assistance, Monday through Friday, by calling 315.443.4357. For faculty and staff, assistance is available through Carebridge, the University’s Faculty and Staff Assistance Program. Trained clinicians answer the phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week and can be reached at 800.437.0911.
Sincerely,
Chief Bobby Maldonado
Department of Public Safety