Campus Alert Archive
MSU

The Active-Shooter Alert That Wasn't: MSU Corrects Its Own Monroe Apartments Message in 8 Minutes

MOshots firedemergency notificationmedium confidence

On the evening of Saturday, November 21, 2020, Missouri State University sent a Missouri State Alert falsely reporting an active shooter at Monroe Apartments on Bear Boulevard at 6:04 PM CST. Eight minutes later, a correction alert clarified that only shots had been fired and there was no active shooter. A vehicle drove north on National Avenue and fired four rounds at the Monroe Apartments building, two of which penetrated apartment walls. No injuries were reported and the drive-by shooter was never identified.

Alerts
3
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
0
Institution
Missouri State University
Public Masters · MO
Missouri State Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

3 messages in sequence · 1 verified verbatim

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTSMS
Verified verbatimThe Standard (Missouri State student newspaper), which quoted the 6:04 PM CST alert verbatim; corroborated by KY3176 chars
EMERGENCY! An active shooter has been reported at Monroe Apartments. Avoid the area. If able, RUN to leave area, otherwise HIDE. As a last resort, FIGHT. Police are responding.
Verbatim text of the 6:04 PM CST initial alert as quoted by The Standard student newspaper and corroborated by KY3; the full Run-Avoid-Hide-Fight wording is reproduced identically across sources.
This was the initial -- and incorrect -- characterization. Springfield Police later confirmed no active shooter was present; the incident was a drive-by shooting, and MSU issued a correction eight minutes later.
CORRECTIONSMS+8 min
Approximate reconstruction144 chars
Missouri State Alert: UPDATE - Reports of shots fired at Monroe Apartments. No active shooter at this time. Avoid the area. Police are on scene.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed correction alert; KY3 confirmed a second alert at 6:12 PM CST revised the characterization from 'active shooter' to 'shots fired,' an operationally important distinction.
The 8-minute gap between the incorrect initial alert and this correction became the focus of a post-incident media briefing by the MSU campus safety leader.
ALL CLEARSMS+1h 26m
Approximate reconstruction170 chars
Missouri State Alert: ALL CLEAR - Monroe Apartments. The area is safe. A vehicle drove by and fired rounds at the building. No injuries. Springfield Police investigating.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed all-clear; KY3 reported a third alert at approximately 7:30 PM CST identifying the incident as a drive-by shooting from a vehicle traveling north on National Avenue.
Two bullets penetrated exterior walls of Monroe Apartments but caused no injuries. The all-clear explicitly authorized residents to return to normal activities.
Context

Background

On the evening of November 21, 2020, a vehicle traveling north on National Avenue opened fire on Monroe Apartments, an on-campus housing complex at Missouri State University in Springfield. Four shots were fired; two bullets penetrated the building's exterior walls and entered individual apartment rooms. No residents were struck. The incident's significance lies in what followed: MSU sent an initial alert at 6:04 PM CST classifying the event as an 'active shooter,' prompting students to follow Run-Hide-Fight protocols. Eight minutes later, a correction alert downgraded the threat to 'shots fired' with no active shooter present. The rapid escalation and correction became a teaching moment: the university's campus safety leader held a media briefing the following day to explain the protocols driving the distinction between an active-shooter notification and a shots-fired advisory, and to defend the decision to alert first and correct quickly. The drive-by shooter was never identified. Monroe Apartments sit on Bear Boulevard at the heart of Missouri State's campus in Springfield, MO.
Outcome
Springfield Police confirmed the incident was a drive-by, not an active shooter event. Two bullets entered Monroe Apartments through exterior walls but injured no one. No suspects were identified. The campus safety leader later explained the distinction between an active-shooter notification and a shots-fired advisory to local media.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Shots fired at Monroe Apartments, MSU calls off active shooter threat - KY3
    ky3.com
  2. Student Paper
    Shots fired in drive-by at Monroe Apartments on MSU campus - The Standard
    the-standard.org
  3. News
    After shots fired Saturday at Missouri State housing center, campus safety leader explains emergency alerts - KY3
    ky3.com
  4. News
    Missouri State University sends alert of active shooter - ABC17NEWS
    abc17news.com
Tags
drive-byshots-firedactive-shooter-false-alarmcorrection-alerton-campus-housingmissourispringfieldalert-protocol
Added May 2026Updated June 2026Via ingestion