Campus Alert Archive
Clemson

Dispute at Dawson Park Erupts in Gunfire, Triggering Clemson Critical Alert on a Summer Evening

SCshootingemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

On June 22, 2024, a dispute between several people at Dawson Park near Clemson University escalated into gunfire at approximately 7:08 PM EDT. Clemson University Public Safety issued a Critical Alert around 7:10 PM instructing the community to avoid the area. No injuries were reported, and the alert was lifted at approximately 8:00 PM.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
Clemson University
Public R1 · SC
~28,000 studentsCU Safe Alerts
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 ALERTSMS
Verified verbatimFox Carolina and ABC 45 coverage of the June 22, 2024 Dawson Park incident; both outlets quote the 'CRITICAL CU ALERT' text verbatim; The Tiger student newspaper headline confirms 'gunshots off-campus' phrasing97 chars
CRITICAL CU ALERT: Report of gunshots off-campus at Dawson Park. Avoid the area. Secure in place.
The Critical Alert was sent approximately two minutes after the 911 call was received at 7:08 PM EDT on June 22, 2024
The 'off-campus' qualifier in the alert text is Clemson's standard framing for incidents at adjacent locations not on university property — Dawson Park sits at 894 Old Stone Church Road, adjacent to the campus boundary
Alert was issued in compliance with the Jeanne Clery Act to warn the university community of a possible threat to safety; 'Secure in place' is Clemson's shelter-in-place command, which it distinguishes from an evacuation order
ALL CLEARSMS
Approximate reconstruction196 chars
CRITICAL ALERT UPDATE: The Critical Alert for shots fired at Dawson Park has been lifted. Normal operations have resumed. If you have any information, contact Detective John Brown at 864-624-2008.

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

The all-clear was lifted approximately 50 minutes after the initial alert
City police requested tips from anyone with information about the shooting
Context

Background

On the evening of June 22, 2024, a dispute between several individuals at Dawson Park on Old Stone Church Road in Clemson, South Carolina, escalated into gunfire. The City of Clemson Police Department received a 911 call at 7:08 PM EDT reporting shots fired. Both Clemson City Police and Clemson University Public Safety officers responded to the park. Clemson University issued a Critical Alert around 7:10 PM in compliance with the Jeanne Clery Act, warning the community to avoid the area. One person was confirmed to have fired several shots in the direction of others during the dispute, causing several bystanders to flee. No injuries were reported. The alert was lifted at approximately 8:00 PM, and city police collected evidence from the scene. The incident occurred during the summer session when campus population was reduced.
Analysis

Key Findings

The two-minute gap between the 911 call and the Critical Alert demonstrates rapid notification capability
Despite occurring at an off-campus city park, the proximity to the Clemson campus triggered a Clery Act notification obligation
The summer timing meant fewer students were on campus, reducing potential exposure
Outcome
No injuries were reported. The City of Clemson Police Department collected evidence from the scene and continued investigating. Shell casings were recovered from the park area.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Gunfire near Clemson prompts campus alert, no injuries reported (WLTX)
    wltx.com
  2. News
    Police investigating shots fired near Clemson University (Fox Carolina)
    foxcarolina.com
  3. News
    Police: Shots fired at Dawson Park near Clemson University (WLOS)
    wlos.com
Tags
shots-firednear-campusparkclery-actcritical-alertsouth-carolinasummer-sessionno-injuries
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion