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Columbia

Timely warning for a Citi bike arson at Amsterdam and 119th

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Under Investigation

Columbia Public Safety issued Clery Crime Alert W18 for the incident described in the official PDF.

Alerts
1
Response
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Killed
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Injured
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Institution
Columbia University
Private R1 · NY
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~33,000 studentsColumbia Public Safety Clery Alert
Official alert policy
Read when and how Columbia says it will use Emergency Notification System: summarized, quoted, and analyzed.
Documented Timeline

Alert Sequence

1 message in sequence · 1 verified verbatim

Confirmed wording is transcribed character-for-character from a primary source. Use Verify this quote under each message to open that source in a new tab and compare the text yourself.

INITIAL ALERTEmail
Verified verbatim2276 chars
Clery Crime Alert Arson Columbia University Public Safety was informed of an arson incident that occurred on July 18, 2026, at approximately 8:40 AM on Amsterdam Ave and West 119th St. The individual ignited a fire causing damage to a Citi bike that was docked at this location. At the time, the individual was wearing a bright pink windbreaker-type jacket. The individual then left the scene on foot walking eastbound on West 119th St towards Morningside Drive. If you have any additional information about this incident, please contact Investigator Ken Finnegan at 212-854- 3211 and reference report number 26-002514. Harm Reduction Strategies: No one is ever responsible for a crime committed against them. The responsibility lies entirely with the perpetrator. If something happens, we encourage you to report it. Reporting helps protect others and ensures you can access support and services. Report the incident to the Department of Public Safety at Morningside: 212-854-5555 Manhattanville: 212-853-3333 Medical Center: 212-305-7979 Often, where there is smoke, there is fire. When you see or smell smoke, call 911 and report the incident to CU Public Safety immediately, stating that you see or smell smoke/fire. Do not try to extinguish an uncontrolled fire yourself as this can often result in further injury. Remember, do not assume a fire alarm is a drill or test. All building alarm systems are tested as required by law, but these tests are announced in advance. Treat every alarm as an emergency unless you have received advance notification stating otherwise. Exit the building immediately. Feel doors before opening them to be sure that there is no fire danger on the other side. If you must enter a smoke-filled room or hallway, cover your nose and mouth with a wet cloth and crawl, keeping your head near the floor, to the nearest exit. Disclaimer: Clery Crime Alerts (Timely Warning Notifications) are distributed pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act. Columbia University is required to alert the campus community when certain crimes occur in our Clery Act defined campuses that represent a serious or continuous threat to the community. For additional information, please visit our Clery Act website or email ps-compliance@columbia.edu
Verify this quote
Columbia Public Safety Clery Crime Alert PDF (W18)publicsafety.columbia.edufind archived copies
PDF dual-download MATCH 2026-09-21. Text-layer ligatures/NBSP/Ō normalized to ASCII, matching W05/W06 capture practice. verbatim sha256 c6383e8867a36d6914a49c26012a337241d56118100a3927498d148ba123b903. PDF bytes sha256 5ba86a45bfecc0b4e1ed80108d844e7fdf0bd8ad53508f6bd97f553e7a7f58d3.
Distinct incident from 2026-04-02-columbia-university-broadway-residence-hall-arsons: different date and a docked Citi bike vs Broadway Residence Hall bathroom cans.
Message elements

How the first alert is built

To check this alert, SuperGrok Heavy 4.5 (an AI) read it in full 25 separate times, independently. Each read decided whether the message answers each of the six questions and gave a short reason. A final reviewer then weighed all 25 and wrote the plain-English verdict you see when you open a row. The score (for example 22/25) is how many reads agreed; the 25 individual reads are tucked underneath if you want to check them.

Clery Crime Alert Arson Columbia University Public Safety was informed of an arson incident that occurred on July 18, 2026, at approximately 8:40 AM on Amsterdam Ave and West 119th St. The individual ignited a fire causing damage to a Citi bike that was docked at this location. At the time, the individual was wearing a bright pink windbreaker-type jacket. The individual then left the scene on foot walking eastbound on West 119th St towards Morningside Drive. If you have any additional information about this incident, please contact Investigator Ken Finnegan at 212-854- 3211 and reference report number 26-002514. Harm Reduction Strategies: No one is ever responsible for a crime committed against them. The responsibility lies entirely with the perpetrator. If something happens, we encourage you to report it. Reporting helps protect others and ensures you can access support and services. Report the incident to the Department of Public Safety at Morningside: 212-854-5555 Manhattanville: 212-853-3333 Medical Center: 212-305-7979 Often, where there is smoke, there is fire. When you see or smell smoke, call 911 and report the incident to CU Public Safety immediately, stating that you see or smell smoke/fire. Do not try to extinguish an uncontrolled fire yourself as this can often result in further injury. Remember, do not assume a fire alarm is a drill or test. All building alarm systems are tested as required by law, but these tests are announced in advance. Treat every alarm as an emergency unless you have received advance notification stating otherwise. Exit the building immediately. Feel doors before opening them to be sure that there is no fire danger on the other side. If you must enter a smoke-filled room or hallway, cover your nose and mouth with a wet cloth and crawl, keeping your head near the floor, to the nearest exit. Disclaimer: Clery Crime Alerts (Timely Warning Notifications) are distributed pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act. Columbia University is required to alert the campus community when certain crimes occur in our Clery Act defined campuses that represent a serious or continuous threat to the community. For additional information, please visit our Clery Act website or email ps-compliance@columbia.edu

  • Sourcepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    All 25 reads find Source present.

    Who is sending the alert and who is responding. People act faster on a message from a clearly identifiable, credible sender, such as a named department, the police, or a branded alert system, than on an anonymous notice. A branded signature counts.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: Columbia University Public Safety, also called CU Public Safety, is named as the source.
    2. present: Columbia University Public Safety is named as the informing authority on this Clery Crime Alert.
    3. present: Columbia University Public Safety issues the Clery Crime Alert and is the named source.
    4. present: "Clery Crime Alert" and "Columbia University Public Safety" name the issuing office.
    5. present: Columbia University Public Safety is named as the informing authority on this Clery Crime Alert.
    6. present: "Clery Crime Alert" and "Columbia University Public Safety" identify the sender.
    7. present: Columbia University Public Safety issues the Clery Crime Alert, so the sending authority is identified.
    8. present: Columbia University Public Safety is identified as the informing authority for this Clery Crime Alert.
    9. present: Columbia University Public Safety is named as the agency informed of the arson.
    10. present: Columbia University Public Safety is named as the source, and the message is labeled Clery Crime Alert.
    11. present: Columbia University Public Safety is identified as the source of this Clery Crime Alert.
    12. present: Columbia University Public Safety is named as the informing authority, with CU Public Safety and Columbia University restated later.
    13. present: Columbia University Public Safety is named as the informing authority.
    14. present: The message identifies Columbia University Public Safety as the informing authority under a Clery Crime Alert title.
    15. present: Columbia University Public Safety is named as the informing office on this Clery Crime Alert.
    16. present: Columbia University Public Safety is named as the unit informed of and reporting the arson.
    17. present: Columbia University Public Safety is named as the informing authority on this Clery Crime Alert.
    18. present: Columbia University Public Safety is named as the informing authority on this Clery Crime Alert.
    19. present: Columbia University Public Safety is identified as the informing authority on this Clery Crime Alert.
    20. present: Columbia University Public Safety is named as the agency informed of the arson.
    21. present: "Columbia University Public Safety" issues this "Clery Crime Alert" and later refers readers to "CU Public Safety".
    22. present: Columbia University Public Safety is named as the informing authority on a Clery Crime Alert.
    23. present: Columbia University Public Safety is identified as the source of this Clery Crime Alert.
    24. present: Columbia University Public Safety is named as the informing and contact authority on the Clery Crime Alert.
    25. present: Columbia University Public Safety is named, with a Clery Crime Alert signature.
  • Hazardpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    All 25 reads find Hazard present.

    What the threat actually is. A complete warning names the specific danger, such as a shooter, a fire, a tornado, or a gas leak, rather than a vague emergency, because people decide what to do based on what they are facing.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: The alert names arson and says the individual ignited a fire at a docked Citi bike.
    2. present: It names Arson and says the individual ignited a fire, a specific fire threat.
    3. present: It names arson and states that the individual ignited a fire.
    4. present: The heading "Arson" and the phrase "ignited a fire" name the hazard.
    5. present: The alert names arson and states that the individual ignited a fire, a specific threat.
    6. present: The alert names "arson" and that the person "ignited a fire", a specific fire threat.
    7. present: The alert names arson and an ignited fire, a specific threat rather than a generic incident.
    8. present: The alert names arson and says the individual ignited a fire, a specific threat.
    9. present: The alert names arson and states that the individual ignited a fire.
    10. present: It names Arson and states the person ignited a fire, a specific fire threat.
    11. present: The alert names arson and states the individual ignited a fire.
    12. present: The heading and body name arson and state that the individual ignited a fire.
    13. present: It names arson and states that an individual ignited a fire.
    14. present: It names Arson and states that the individual ignited a fire at the bike dock.
    15. present: The message names arson and says the individual ignited a fire, a specific threat.
    16. present: The heading Arson and the ignited fire name a specific fire-setting threat.
    17. present: The alert names arson as the hazard, including that the individual ignited a fire.
    18. present: The heading and body name arson, including that the individual ignited a fire.
    19. present: The heading and body name arson and that the individual ignited a fire.
    20. present: The heading and body name arson and describe an individual who ignited a fire.
    21. present: The heading names "Arson" and the body says the person "ignited a fire".
    22. present: The alert names arson and states that the individual ignited a fire.
    23. present: It names arson and says the individual ignited a fire, a specific threat.
    24. present: The heading and body name arson and say the individual ignited a fire.
    25. present: The alert names arson and says the individual ignited a fire, a specific hazard.
  • Locationpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    All 25 reads find Location present.

    Where the threat is. Saying whether danger is in a specific building, a part of campus, or area-wide lets people judge their own proximity and choose a safe direction. Without a where, a warning is hard to act on precisely.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: It locates the fire on Amsterdam Ave and West 119th St, with flight toward Morningside Drive.
    2. present: The incident is placed on Amsterdam Ave and West 119th St, with the person walking toward Morningside Drive.
    3. present: The site is Amsterdam Ave and West 119th St, then east toward Morningside Drive.
    4. present: The fire was "on Amsterdam Ave and West 119th St", a named intersection.
    5. present: The fire is placed on Amsterdam Ave and West 119th St, with the person walking toward Morningside Drive.
    6. present: It places the incident on Amsterdam Ave and West 119th St, then toward Morningside Drive.
    7. present: It occurred on Amsterdam Ave and West 119th St, with the person walking east toward Morningside Drive.
    8. present: It occurred on Amsterdam Ave and West 119th St, with the suspect walking toward Morningside Drive.
    9. present: The fire is located on Amsterdam Ave and West 119th St, with the person walking toward Morningside Drive.
    10. present: The fire was on Amsterdam Ave and West 119th St, a named intersection, with the suspect walking toward Morningside Drive.
    11. present: It locates the fire on Amsterdam Ave and West 119th St, with the suspect walking toward Morningside Drive.
    12. present: The fire is placed on Amsterdam Ave and West 119th St, with the person later walking toward Morningside Drive.
    13. present: The fire is on Amsterdam Ave and West 119th St, with flight toward Morningside Drive.
    14. present: The fire occurred on Amsterdam Ave and West 119th St, and the person walked east on West 119th toward Morningside Drive.
    15. present: It places the incident on Amsterdam Ave and West 119th St, a named street intersection.
    16. present: It cites Amsterdam Ave and West 119th St, then eastbound on West 119th toward Morningside Drive.
    17. present: It gives the site as Amsterdam Ave and West 119th St, then eastbound toward Morningside Drive.
    18. present: The fire was on Amsterdam Ave and West 119th St, with the person walking toward Morningside Drive.
    19. present: The fire was on Amsterdam Ave and West 119th St, with the person walking east toward Morningside Drive.
    20. present: The fire is located on Amsterdam Ave and West 119th St, with flight toward Morningside Drive.
    21. present: The incident is "on Amsterdam Ave and West 119th St" at a docked Citi bike.
    22. present: The fire is placed on Amsterdam Ave and West 119th St, with the person walking toward Morningside Drive.
    23. present: The fire was on Amsterdam Ave and West 119th St, with the suspect walking toward Morningside Drive.
    24. present: The fire is placed on Amsterdam Ave and West 119th St, with flight toward Morningside Drive.
    25. present: The fire was on Amsterdam Ave and West 119th St, then toward Morningside Drive.
  • Guidancepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    All 25 reads find Guidance present.

    The protective action to take. A clear, specific instruction, such as shelter in place, evacuate, avoid the area, or run-hide-fight, drives faster and more correct protective behavior than describing the threat alone.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: It instructs readers to call 911, not fight an uncontrolled fire, treat alarms as real, and exit immediately.
    2. present: It instructs readers to call 911, not fight an uncontrolled fire, treat alarms as real, and exit the building immediately.
    3. present: It tells people to call 911 for smoke, exit immediately, treat alarms as emergencies, and not fight the fire.
    4. present: It directs people to call 911, exit immediately, and not extinguish an uncontrolled fire themselves.
    5. present: It instructs readers to call 911 and Public Safety for smoke, not fight an uncontrolled fire, and exit immediately.
    6. present: It tells people to call 911, not fight an uncontrolled fire, treat alarms as emergencies, and exit immediately.
    7. present: It tells readers to call 911 for smoke, not fight an uncontrolled fire, treat alarms as emergencies, and exit immediately.
    8. present: It instructs people to call 911, not extinguish an uncontrolled fire, treat alarms as emergencies, and exit immediately.
    9. present: It tells readers to call 911 for smoke or fire, not to fight an uncontrolled fire, and to exit the building immediately.
    10. present: It tells people to call 911, report smoke or fire immediately, not fight an uncontrolled fire, treat alarms as real, and exit the building.
    11. present: It instructs people to call 911, not extinguish an uncontrolled fire, treat alarms as emergencies, and exit immediately.
    12. present: It tells readers to call 911 for smoke, not fight an uncontrolled fire, treat alarms as real, and exit immediately.
    13. present: It directs people to call 911, exit the building immediately, and not fight an uncontrolled fire.
    14. present: It instructs people to call 911 if they see or smell smoke, not fight an uncontrolled fire, treat alarms as real, and exit immediately.
    15. present: It instructs people to call 911, not extinguish an uncontrolled fire, treat alarms as emergencies, and exit immediately.
    16. present: Instructions include calling 911 for smoke, not fighting the fire, treating alarms as real, and exiting immediately.
    17. present: It tells readers to call 911 if they see smoke, not to fight an uncontrolled fire, treat alarms as real, and exit immediately.
    18. present: It tells readers to call 911 for smoke, not fight an uncontrolled fire, treat alarms as real, and exit immediately.
    19. present: It tells readers to call 911, not fight an uncontrolled fire, treat alarms as real, and exit the building immediately.
    20. present: Readers are told to call 911 for smoke, not fight an uncontrolled fire, treat alarms as real, and exit immediately.
    21. present: It instructs people to call 911, not fight an uncontrolled fire, treat alarms as real, and "Exit the building immediately".
    22. present: It tells readers to call 911, not fight an uncontrolled fire, treat alarms as emergencies, and exit immediately.
    23. present: It tells people to call 911, not fight an uncontrolled fire, treat alarms as real, and exit immediately.
    24. present: It instructs people to call 911 for smoke, not fight an uncontrolled fire, treat alarms as real, and exit immediately.
    25. present: It tells people to call 911 for smoke, not fight an uncontrolled fire, treat alarms as real, and exit immediately.
  • Timepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    All 25 reads find Time present.

    When the message applies. A timestamp, the word now or immediately, or a phrase like until further notice tells the reader whether the danger is current and how quickly to act.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: It reports July 18, 2026, at approximately 8:40 AM, and uses immediately in the fire instructions.
    2. present: It reports July 18, 2026, at approximately 8:40 AM, and also uses immediately for calling 911 and exiting.
    3. present: It gives July 18, 2026, at approximately 8:40 AM as the incident time.
    4. present: It gives July 18, 2026, at approximately 8:40 AM, and uses "immediately" for action timing.
    5. present: It reports the arson on July 18, 2026, at approximately 8:40 AM, and also uses immediately for exiting.
    6. present: The arson is dated July 18, 2026, at approximately 8:40 AM, and readers are told to act "immediately".
    7. present: The arson is timed on July 18, 2026, at approximately 8:40 AM, and smoke should be reported immediately.
    8. present: It gives July 18, 2026 at approximately 8:40 AM and tells people to report smoke immediately.
    9. present: The arson is dated July 18, 2026, at approximately 8:40 AM.
    10. present: The arson is dated July 18, 2026, at approximately 8:40 AM, and guidance also uses immediately.
    11. present: The arson is dated July 18, 2026, at approximately 8:40 AM, and fire steps use immediately.
    12. present: The arson is timed July 18, 2026, at approximately 8:40 AM, and exit guidance also says immediately.
    13. present: The arson is timed on July 18, 2026, at approximately 8:40 AM.
    14. present: The arson is placed on July 18, 2026, at approximately 8:40 AM.
    15. present: It gives July 18, 2026 at approximately 8:40 AM and tells readers to exit the building immediately.
    16. present: The arson is dated July 18, 2026, at approximately 8:40 AM.
    17. present: The arson is dated July 18, 2026, at approximately 8:40 AM.
    18. present: The arson is dated July 18, 2026, at approximately 8:40 AM.
    19. present: The arson is timed at approximately 8:40 AM on July 18, 2026.
    20. present: The arson occurred on July 18, 2026, at approximately 8:40 AM.
    21. present: The arson is dated "July 18, 2026, at approximately 8:40 AM", and the tips also use "immediately".
    22. present: The incident is dated July 18, 2026, at approximately 8:40 AM.
    23. present: It dates the arson to July 18, 2026 at approximately 8:40 AM and uses immediately in the fire instructions.
    24. present: It gives July 18, 2026, at approximately 8:40 AM, plus immediately in the fire instructions.
    25. present: The arson is timed to July 18, 2026, at approximately 8:40 AM, and some actions are to be taken immediately.
  • Impactpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    All 25 reads find Impact present.

    What the hazard could do to the people in its path. Beyond naming the threat, a complete warning conveys its potential consequences or severity, such as that a tornado can level buildings or that a leak could be explosive, so recipients grasp how much danger they are in. Research on warning message content finds that a concrete impact statement helps people personalize their risk and act sooner.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: The fire caused damage to a Citi bike, and fighting it can result in further injury, which is stated harm.
    2. present: The fire caused damage to a Citi bike, and later lines warn of further injury and fire danger, stating harm and severity.
    3. present: It reports damage to a Citi bike, further injury if you fight the fire, and fire danger at doors.
    4. present: The fire caused "damage to a Citi bike" and fighting it "can often result in further injury".
    5. present: The fire caused damage to a Citi bike, and the tips warn of further injury and fire danger.
    6. present: The fire is said to be "causing damage" to a Citi bike, with "further injury" and "fire danger" if people intervene.
    7. present: It states the fire caused damage to a Citi bike and that trying to extinguish it can result in further injury.
    8. present: It reports fire causing damage to a Citi bike and warns of further injury and fire danger.
    9. present: The fire caused damage to a Citi bike, and fighting an uncontrolled fire is said to result in further injury.
    10. present: The fire causing damage to a Citi bike, plus further injury and fire danger, states harm to property and people.
    11. present: It states damage to a Citi bike and warns of further injury and fire danger.
    12. present: The fire caused damage to a Citi bike, and the tips warn that fighting an uncontrolled fire can result in further injury.
    13. present: It reports damage to a Citi bike and warns that fighting the fire can cause further injury.
    14. present: The fire caused damage to a Citi bike, and fighting it can often result in further injury.
    15. present: It reports damage to a Citi bike and warns of further injury and fire danger, stating harm and severity.
    16. present: The fire caused damage to a Citi bike, and tips warn of injury and fire danger.
    17. present: It states the fire caused damage to a Citi bike and that trying to extinguish an uncontrolled fire can result in further injury.
    18. present: The fire caused damage to a Citi bike, and advice cites further injury and fire danger.
    19. present: The fire caused damage to a Citi bike, and the text cites further injury and fire danger.
    20. present: The fire caused damage to a Citi bike, and the text warns of further injury and fire danger.
    21. present: The fire caused "damage to a Citi bike", and the tips cite "further injury" and "fire danger".
    22. present: The fire caused damage to a Citi bike, and the text warns of further injury and fire danger.
    23. present: It reports damage to a Citi bike and warns that fighting a fire can result in further injury.
    24. present: It reports damage to a Citi bike and warns of further injury and fire danger if people stay or fight the fire.
    25. present: The fire caused damage to a Citi bike, and the text warns of further injury and fire danger.

Coded by SuperGrok Heavy 4.5

Systematic AI judgments with visible reasoning, not human-validated codings.

About this analysis
Context

Background

Columbia Public Safety posts Clery Crime Alerts as PDFs. Official product: the W18 warning.
Analysis

Key Findings

Official PDF names an ignited fire that damaged a docked Citi bike at Amsterdam and West 119th.
Outcome
Suspect in a bright pink windbreaker walked east on 119th toward Morningside Drive.
Provenance

Sources

Every claim on this page is meant to be checkable. Open the links below (and the Verify this quote control under each confirmed alert) to read the original university, news, or archive page yourself. Hostnames are shown so you can see where you are going; archived copies survive when live pages move or disappear. See also our methodology.

  1. Official
    Columbia Public Safety Clery Crime Alert PDF (W18)
    publicsafety.columbia.edu
    archived copy
Cite this case

Campus Alert Archive. "Columbia University: Timely warning for a Citi bike arson at Amsterdam and 119th." Incident of July 18, 2026. Added September 2026. https://campusalertarchive.com/case/columbia-university-citibike-arson-amsterdam-119-2026-07-18/

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Alert text quoted on this page remains the work of the issuing institution; the archive is a secondary source.

Tags
private-r1new-yorkcolumbiaivycleryarsonUnder Investigation
Added September 2026Updated September 2026Via ingestion