At 5:35 p.m. on Aug. 27, Case Western Reserve University students, faculty and parents received a notification about an emergency. CWRU’s Division of Public Safety announced a shelter-in-place order for everyone on campus due to a “possible shooting” in the 2100 block of Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Drive near Lot One and the Case Quad. According to Cleveland 19 News, after the 18-year-old and 19-year-old armed suspects refused to pull over, they tried to escape a traffic stop and entered the campus near Crawford Hall. In an effort to subdue the suspects after they tried to hijack a car, the police shot the 18-year-old in the leg and later detained the 19-year-old on MLK Drive. The 18-year-old was then taken to University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center for treatment. No CWRU student or faculty member was injured.
Certain campus staff ensured student safety by clearing visible areas, such as Thwing Atrium. Law enforcement increased the police and helicopter presence around the Quad and made buildings accessible only with a CWRU ID card. At 6:11 p.m., CWRU announced an all-clear, reporting that law enforcement apprehended the suspects. Despite the all-clear report, portions of MLK Drive were shut down, areas surrounding Crawford and Tomlinson Hall were taped off and police presence remained around the campus to ensure the safety of the CWRU community. An Ohio State Highway Patrol vehicle was also stationed on the intersection between Adelbert Road and Euclid Avenue.
This shelter-in-place order is not the first one this year. On April 11, CWRU issued another shelter-in-place when an armed individual followed a student into Michelson House in the South Residential Village on campus. Minutes prior to the individual’s entry, four armed juveniles fled from a stolen car in the area, though a gun was never found and no one was injured. According to CWRU alerts, the intruder was not affiliated with the university and was detained after a thorough investigation using infrared drone cameras and security footage.
“I think security responded very well both times,” second-year student Ethan Park said. “I wasn’t near the location during either of the alerts, but it was still comforting to see that the police response was so quick.”
Similar to last semester’s emergency, CWRU and Cleveland Heights police acted quickly in response to the incident and sent out frequent updates to inform the CWRU community. At 9:56 p.m., President Kaler also sent out an email to the CWRU community with updates, resources on counseling services and a reminder to review emergency plans. The Observer reached out to Public Safety for more information. At that time, they stated they were providing the media with the same alerts and messages the CWRU community was receiving.