Campus Alert Archive
TCNJ

Seven TCNJ Students Struck by Pellet Guns in Campus Town

NJassaulttimely warningmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

On the night of January 21, 2024, seven TCNJ students were struck by pellets fired from a passing vehicle in and around the Campus Town shopping and dining district adjacent to the Ewing, NJ campus. Campus Police issued an emergency alert and timely warning describing the suspect vehicle. None of the students required medical attention.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
7
Institution
The College of New Jersey
Public Masters · NJ
~7,500 studentsTCNJ Alert
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 reconstruction366 chars
TCNJ Alert: TCNJ Police are investigating multiple reports of students being struck by projectiles from a pellet gun fired from a passing vehicle in the Campus Town area. The suspect vehicle is described as a white van. If you are in the Campus Town area, seek shelter indoors and avoid the area. Anyone with information should contact Campus Police at 609-771-2345.

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

Reconstructed from The Signal's reporting that two students were initially struck on the night of January 21, 2024 in Campus Town and that Campus Police issued an emergency alert
Campus Town is a privately-developed retail and residential complex on the southern edge of TCNJ's Ewing, NJ campus along Pennington Road
The Signal reported the pellets came from a white van traveling south on the main boulevard; some students were struck in the face while walking near Panera and the urgent care
Subsequent reporting indicated the total number of struck students rose to seven
FOLLOW-UPEmail
Approximate reconstruction442 chars
Last evening, TCNJ Police responded to multiple reports of individuals being struck by pellets fired from a passing vehicle in the Campus Town area. Seven students were ultimately reported as struck; none required medical attention. The investigation continues in coordination with Ewing Township Police. Community members are encouraged to remain alert and to report any suspicious vehicles or activity to TCNJ Campus Police at 609-771-2345.

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

Reconstructed from The Signal coverage indicating seven students total were struck by pellets and none required medical attention
TCNJ later issued a Clery timely warning describing the suspect vehicle to the broader community
The incident reflects a pattern of drive-by pellet gun assaults in NJ college towns during early 2024
Context

Background

Campus Town is a privately developed mixed-use district on the southern edge of The College of New Jersey's Ewing, NJ campus, anchoring student dining and retail along Pennington Road. On the night of January 21, 2024, seven TCNJ students were struck by pellets fired from a white van traveling south on the main boulevard over the course of the evening; The Signal reported that none required medical attention, though some students were hit in the face near Panera and the Campus Town urgent care. Campus Police issued an immediate alert through the TCNJ emergency notification system and a follow-up Clery timely warning describing the suspect vehicle. The incident illustrates how 'pellet gun drive-by' assaults — a recurring nuisance crime in college towns — get treated under Clery: the multiple-victim escalation moved the case from a single Public Safety Alert to a campus-wide timely warning.
Outcome
All seven students were struck but none required medical treatment. Campus Police and Ewing Township Police investigated. The campus alert system flagged the suspect vehicle to the community.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Student Paper
    Seven TCNJ students struck by pellet guns in Campus Town (The Signal)
    tcnjsignalnews.com
  2. Official
    TCNJ Text Alerts (Emergency Preparedness)
    emergency.tcnj.edu
  3. Official
    Campus Alert Policy (TCNJ Emergency Preparedness)
    emergency.tcnj.edu
Tags
assaultpellet-gundrive-bycampus-townewingnew-jerseypublic-masterstimely-warningmultiple-victims
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion