Campus Alert Archive
Stockton

Road Rage Shooting Near Campus Entrance Triggers 2.5-Hour Shelter-in-Place as Suspect Flees Onto Stockton Grounds

NJshootingemergency notificationhigh confidence
Confirmed Threat

On September 11, 2025, at approximately 12:52 PM EDT, a woman was shot in the face during a road rage incident on W. Jimmie Leeds Road near the Stockton University campus entrance. The suspect's vehicle fled onto Vera King Ferris Drive on campus. Stockton issued a shelter-in-place at 1:19 PM. The suspect, actor Ernest Heinz, 46, was arrested and the all-clear issued at 4:03 PM.

Alerts
3
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
1
Institution
Stockton University
Public Masters · NJ
~10,000 students
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

3 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 ALERTmulti-channel
Approximate reconstruction190 chars
Stockton University is under a shelter-in-place order due to a shooting incident near the campus entrance. Galloway Township Police are investigating. Avoid the area of W. Jimmie Leeds Road.

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

Issued at 1:19 PM EDT on September 11, 2025, approximately 27 minutes after the shooting at 12:52 PM
The suspect's vehicle fled onto Vera King Ferris Drive, which runs through the campus, making this both an off-campus and on-campus incident
The date — September 11 — added additional anxiety to an already frightening situation
UPDATEsocial-media
Verified verbatimStockton University official X/Twitter account211 chars
Continue to shelter in place. Galloway Township Police are seeking two suspects in a white sedan connected to an off-campus shooting. The suspect passenger is a white male with a green shirt and long blond hair.
Posted at approximately 2:05 PM EDT on September 11, 2025, on Stockton's official X/Twitter
The suspect description — 'white male with a green shirt and long blond hair' — was later matched to actor Ernest Heinz
The vehicle was later identified as a white Honda CRV SUV at 2:19 PM
ALL CLEARmulti-channel+2h 44m
Approximate reconstruction187 chars
ALL CLEAR: The shelter-in-place has been lifted. A suspect has been arrested in connection with the shooting. All classes and campus activities are cancelled for the remainder of the day.

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

Issued at 4:03 PM EDT, approximately 2 hours and 44 minutes after the initial shelter-in-place
The arrest was announced at 5:03 PM, one hour after the all-clear
All classes and activities were cancelled for the remainder of September 11
Context

Background

On September 11, 2025, a road rage shooting near the Stockton University campus entrance in Galloway Township triggered a 2.5-hour shelter-in-place. At approximately 12:52 PM EDT, a woman was shot in the face on W. Jimmie Leeds Road, and the suspect's vehicle fled onto campus via Vera King Ferris Drive. Stockton issued a shelter-in-place at 1:19 PM. 6ABC Philadelphia and NBC Philadelphia provided Philadelphia-market coverage. WHYY provided NPR affiliate coverage. The Stockton Argo student newspaper documented the student experience during the 2.5-hour lockdown. The suspect, Ernest Heinz, 46, was arrested and the all-clear was issued at 4:03 PM. The Stockton University President issued an official statement on the incident.
Analysis

Key Findings

The suspect's vehicle fleeing onto campus via Vera King Ferris Drive blurred the line between off-campus and on-campus incidents
A suspect description was posted on Stockton's official X/Twitter account, demonstrating the use of social media for real-time emergency communications
The September 11 date added a layer of anxiety that compounded the fear of the shooting itself
Outcome
Ernest Heinz, 46, was arrested. The female victim survived a gunshot wound to the face. The shelter-in-place lasted approximately 2.5 hours. All classes and activities were cancelled for the day.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Official
    Statement on shelter-in-place (Stockton University President)
    stockton.edu
  2. News
    Shooting timeline (Press of Atlantic City)
    pressofatlanticcity.com
  3. News
    Shelter-in-place at Stockton University (6ABC Philadelphia)
    6abc.com
  4. News
    Stockton University shelter-in-place (WHYY)
    whyy.org
  5. Student Paper
    Off-campus shooting leaves Stockton students stunned (Stockton Argo)
    stocktonargo.com
Tags
shootingroad-ragenew-jerseyshelter-in-placesuspect-on-campus9-11-datesocial-media-alertsactor-suspect
Added April 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion