Statement

April 16th, 2015

COLUMBIA, Mo. ­— Last night, as law enforcement searched for an armed suspect on campus, the University of Missouri failed to follow established protocols and procedures in alerting the MU community in a timely manner.  Specifically, the MUAlert system was not activated when it should have been, and we apologize to our community. A preliminary review of the MU response revealed that staff members attempting to confirm the exact location of the suspect is likely what caused the delay.

In addition, an initial text alert to students, staff and faculty should have been released when the University first received a statement from the Columbia Police Department containing the suspect’s description and potential location.

The safety and security of our students, staff and faculty is our absolute top priority at the University of Missouri, and the lapse in procedures will be corrected.