Campus Alert Archive
Radford

Radford Alert: 'SECURE-IN-PLACE' During Off-Campus Shooting Two Blocks From Campus

VAshootingemergency notificationhigh confidence
Confirmed Threat

On the afternoon of April 17, 2025, Radford City Police notified Radford University that a shooting had occurred just off campus on the 1100 block of Main Street. At 3:26 p.m. EDT, Radford Alert issued a SECURE-IN-PLACE order via X telling students to avoid the area. Two people were struck by gunfire; the all-clear was given at 5:10 p.m.

Alerts
2
Response
23 min
Killed
0
Injured
2
Institution
Radford University
Public Masters · VA
~8,800 studentsRadford Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 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 ALERTTwitter/X
Verified verbatimRadford University official X (Twitter) account160 chars
Radford Alert! Main Campus. Urgent: SECURE-IN-PLACE. City reports shooting occurred at 1400 block of East Main. Avoid area. Police on scene. More info to follow
Verbatim from Radford University's official X account at 3:26 p.m. EDT, approximately 23 minutes after the off-campus shooting at about 3:03 p.m.
The alert reported the shooting at the '1400 block of East Main' but later reporting clarified the actual location was the 1100 block of Main Street, a small but notable initial-alert location error
The use of the 'SECURE-IN-PLACE' label rather than 'shelter-in-place' is Radford's distinctive terminology — it asks people indoors to remain inside but does not require lockdown or barricading
ALL CLEARTwitter/X
Approximate reconstruction162 chars
Radford Alert! All Clear. Secure-in-Place lifted. Police have determined this was an isolated incident with no ongoing threat to campus. Resume normal activities.

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

Reconstructed from Radford University's incident page and WSLS reporting; the all-clear was given at approximately 5:10 p.m. EDT, about 1 hour 44 minutes after the initial alert
Police characterized the shooting as 'isolated' with no ongoing threat to campus, the language carried into the all-clear message
The incident remained off-campus throughout; the shelter order applied to the main campus while the shooting itself was on the 1100 block of Main Street
Context

Background

On Thursday afternoon, April 17, 2025, Radford City Police were dispatched at approximately 3:03 p.m. EDT to a shooting in the 1100 block of Main Street, just off Radford University's main campus. As a precaution, Radford University Police issued a Radford Alert at 3:26 p.m. declaring SECURE-IN-PLACE and posted the alert to its official X account. Two victims were transported for treatment of gunshot wounds. The university's official statement noted the precautionary nature of the shelter order and confirmed the shooting was off-campus. The all-clear came at approximately 5:10 p.m., when police determined the incident was isolated with no broader threat. Two additional suspects were later charged in connection with the shooting. The incident illustrates Radford's reliance on the broader Radford City Police Department for off-campus crime response, and the SECURE-IN-PLACE label that distinguishes Radford's protocol from full lockdown.
Analysis

Key Findings

Radford's distinctive 'SECURE-IN-PLACE' terminology asks people to remain indoors but stops short of the more restrictive 'shelter-in-place' lockdown — a calibrated middle option for off-campus threats
The initial alert mislocated the shooting at the '1400 block of East Main' instead of the actual 1100 block of Main Street, a reminder that incident-relayed information from city dispatch can carry forward errors
Radford's reliance on X as a primary alert channel reflects its smaller scale; some peer institutions have moved away from social media as a primary delivery channel due to platform reliability concerns
Outcome
Two victims were treated for gunshot wounds. Police determined the shooting was an isolated incident with no ongoing threat to campus. Multiple suspects were later arrested and charged.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Official
    Radford University Issues Secure-in-Place Notification (Radford University Police)
    radford.edu
  2. Social
    Radford University on X — Initial Alert
    x.com
  3. News
    Two hurt in shooting near Radford University (WDBJ)
    wdbj7.com
  4. News
    Radford University under secure-in-place after city reports shooting near campus (WSLS)
    wsls.com
Tags
shootingoff-campussecure-in-placevirginiapublic-universityshelter-in-placetwitter-xradford-alert
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion