Public Safety Update
Updated: April 29, 2021, at 7:15 p.m.
On April 28, 2021, at 3:30 p.m., Elmhurst police responded to a single report of a man with a gun at Elmhurst University, 190 Prospect Ave. The campus was placed on lockdown while police and university public safety conducted a systematic search of the campus. No suspect in this incident was located and the University lifted the lockdown and resumed normal operations at 6:00 p.m. This incident remains under investigation by Elmhurst Police and Elmhurst University Public Safety.
A Message from the Executive Director of Public Safety
To the Campus Community:
On April 28, we went through an uncommon and frightening experience on our campus—sheltering in place as law enforcement responded to reports of a person on campus with a gun.
As Elmhurst police and Elmhurst University Public Safety staff immediately began their investigation, our EU Alert mass notification system and the Emergency Broadcast System (EBS) issued the shelter-in-place order. The campus moved very quickly to take protective measures, and authorities worked to rapidly secure, investigate and inspect the campus for any dangerous conditions or threats to safety.
Because this incident remains under investigation, we are unable to provide any new information at this time. But as we work collaboratively with law enforcement to ensure a thorough investigation, we will share updates as soon as we are able to.
Our focus remains on ensuring the safety of the campus community, and our Public Safety staff remain vigilant for any concerning issues. Currently, there is no evidence to suggest any unsafe conditions on campus, but we will not let our guard down and we are continuing to actively patrol campus.
Please report any unusual or suspicious circumstances to Public Safety at (630) 617-3000 or Elmhurst Police at 9-1-1.
As we move forward from the events of the last 24 hours, I’d like to suggest a few ways in which you can prepare yourself for any future emergency on our campus. Please take a moment to:
- Register and/or review your EU Alert account. Set up an account or log in to access it.
- Review the Emergency Response Procedures in advance of an emergency so that you are familiar with the appropriate response in a given emergency. For your convenience, these are posted online and hard copies are posted in classrooms and public spaces around campus.
- Attend an upcoming session of our Violent Encounters (active shooter) presentation, which will be offered via Zoom for University students in the next couple of weeks. This training offers an in-depth look at individual and campus response during a time of crisis. Watch for a separate campus email detailing an opportunity to attend. (Note: Sessions also are planned for faculty and staff. Details will be emailed separately.)
Lastly, I want to commend and thank campus community members for an excellent response to the alerts and to yesterday’s situation. Your quick and appropriate actions helped us to address the situation as quickly and safely as possible.
These kinds of situations are dynamic and fluid, and require a high degree of coordination with external resources and agencies. Our response was made more effective by the combined efforts of many people. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the many University administrators, staff and faculty who worked together to navigate this emergency in a safe, professional and comprehensive way. I also want to thank the Elmhurst and Villa Park Police Departments, which responded very quickly and deployed many different resources to ensure the safety of our campus.
As always, Public Safety remains available to our campus community members 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, by calling (630) 617-3000. Among the many services provided is a safety escort service by uniformed officers to locations across campus. Please call us if we can be of any assistance.
Thank you all for your dedication to our community!
Respectfully,
Marc Molina
Executive Director
Public Safety and Emergency Management