Campus Alert Archive
SEMO

A Gunshot on the Show Me Center Concourse During a High School Graduation

MOshootingemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

On the afternoon of May 19, 2024, a single shot was fired on the upper-level concourse of the Show Me Center on Southeast Missouri State University's campus during a Cape Central High School graduation, injuring two people. The Cape Girardeau Police Department received the first calls at about 2:33 p.m. CDT, and SEMO pushed SE Alerts notifications to its campus community. A man was later charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action; no students or staff were among those struck.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
2
Institution
Southeast Missouri State University
Public Masters · MO
~9,700 studentsSE Alerts
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

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
Approximate reconstruction125 chars
SE Alert: Police are responding to a report of shots fired at the Show Me Center. Avoid the area. More information to follow.

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

Reconstructed wording: the verbatim SE Alert text is not publicly archived in a retrievable form, so this alert is honestly marked unconfirmed.
The Show Me Center is SEMO's arena, frequently rented for non-university events like high school graduations, which is why an outside-event shooting still triggered a campus emergency notification.
ALL CLEARSMS
Approximate reconstruction165 chars
SE Alert: The Show Me Center incident is contained. Two people were injured and there is no ongoing threat to campus. The area remains an active investigation scene.

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

Reconstructed wording marked unconfirmed; it reflects the substance of SEMO's resolution messaging rather than exact text.
The message frames the event as contained with two injured but no campus threat, consistent with police statements that the gunfire stemmed from a personal altercation rather than a targeted campus attack.
Context

Background

At about 2:33 p.m. CDT on Sunday, May 19, 2024, the Cape Girardeau Police Department received multiple calls about gunfire inside the Show Me Center on the Southeast Missouri State University campus, where Cape Central High School's graduation was underway. KFVS reported that the shot was fired on the upper-level concourse, away from the graduation floor, after an altercation at a concession stand, and that two people were transported with non-life-threatening injuries. KRCU reported that Kris Owens was charged with first-degree assault, armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon, while WPSD Local 6 covered the chaotic evacuation of the arena. SEMO uses its SE Alerts system for emergency notifications; the verbatim alert text is not publicly retrievable, so the wording above is reconstructed and marked unconfirmed.
Analysis

Key Findings

A shooting at a non-university event (a high school graduation rented into SEMO's Show Me Center arena) still triggered a campus emergency notification
The gunfire stemmed from a personal altercation at a concession stand, not a targeted campus attack, and injured two people with no fatalities
No SEMO students or staff were among the injured, a distinction the university and police emphasized
Verbatim SE Alert text is unavailable in retrievable archives, so the case is logged at medium confidence with reconstructed alert wording
Outcome
Two people were shot and transported with non-life-threatening injuries after an altercation at a concession stand. Kris Owens was charged with felony first-degree assault, armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon. No SEMO students or staff were injured.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Man charged in connection with shooting at Cape Central High School graduation - KFVS12
    kfvs12.com
  2. News
    Charges Filed For Shooting During Cape Central HS Graduation at Show Me Center - KRCU
    krcu.org
  3. News
    Reports of shooting at the Show Me Center during high school graduation - WPSD Local 6
    wpsdlocal6.com
  4. Official
    SE Alerts - Southeast Missouri State University
    semo.edu
Tags
shootingmissouriemergency-notificationse-alertsarenagraduationshow-me-center
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion