On Tuesday afternoon, the University of Illinois Chicago sent a campus-wide alert urging people to avoid campus while police responded to an active incident near the Wood Street parking structure. Students and staff were told to follow directions from the university or local officials, and those off campus were asked to stay away.
The school issued its first UIC Alert at 2:30 p.m., reporting police activity at 1100 S. Wood St., according to UIC Emergency Communications. A follow-up message at 2:54 p.m. added more detail, saying, "Police are on scene on the 3rd level of the Wood Street Parking Structure. No threat exists to the campus at this time. The garage is open except for the 3rd level," FOX 32 Chicago reported. The university emphasized that people on campus should follow instructions while authorities worked the scene.
Not far from campus, local news helicopters and a heavy law-enforcement presence converged on a Near West Side White Castle at 2356 W. Roosevelt Rd., where initial reports said three people were shot and two were killed, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. ABC7 Chicago's helicopter footage showed police tape and what appeared to be a charred vehicle in the restaurant's parking lot.
What officials said
In its alert, the university warned that "Authorities are still on scene and the activity is still ongoing at this time," a line highlighted in FOX 32 Chicago's coverage. UIC's public-safety guidance notes that the school uses UIC Alert texts, emails, and on-campus notifications to push out urgent safety instructions to students and employees.
Campus safety resources
Students and staff are reminded that UIC operates several emergency communication tools, including UIC Alert texts, desktop notifications, and blue-light call boxes. For emergencies on campus, people are instructed to call UIC Police at 5-5555 from a campus phone or (312) 355-5555 from off campus; the non-emergency line is (312) 996-2830, according to UIC Police guidance.
Chicago police were on scene in the area and the situation remained under investigation, and authorities did not immediately release additional details. Local outlets described the incident as developing and encouraged people to monitor official university and police channels for updates, per ABC7 Chicago.
