Wording not preserved
A initial alert message is documented at this point in the sequence, but its exact wording is not preserved in the public record. The public edition displays only confirmed alert text.
Tulane
Employee's self-inflicted shooting in a medical school building prompted a lockdown
AI-generated · every claim is source-linkedConfirmed Threat
On April 19, 2024, a Tulane University animal care technician shot himself on the 9th floor of the Hutchinson Memorial Building on the downtown campus. Officers initially responded to a report of an armed suspicious person, and the building was shut down while Tulane Police secured the scene. The first alert was issued at 7:53 AM CDT directing the community to avoid the School of Medicine.
- Alerts
- 3
- Response
- —
- Killed
- 0
- Injured
- 1
~14,000 studentsTU Alerts
Official alert policy
Read when and how Tulane says it will use TU Alert (Everbridge): summarized, quoted, and analyzed.
Documented Timeline
Alert Sequence
3 messages in sequence · 1 verified verbatim
Some messages in this sequence are documented (their existence, timing, and channel are sourced) but their exact wording is not preserved in the public record. Those entries appear as placeholders; only confirmed text is displayed.
Verified verbatimTulane Hullabaloo (student newspaper) reproduced the verbatim text of the 8:53 AM TUPD alert as posted to social media135 chars
No active threat at this time however police activity remains, please continue to avoid the School of Medicine until all clear is sent.
Verbatim text reproduced by Tulane Hullabaloo from the second TUPD social media post at 8:53 AM CDT on April 19, 2024, exactly one hour after the initial 7:53 AM CDT alert
The Hullabaloo article explicitly attributes the wording: 'a second post was made that said, No active threat at this time however police activity remains...'
By this point officers had determined the shooting was self-inflicted; the individual was receiving emergency care
Wording not preserved
A all clear message is documented at this point in the sequence, but its exact wording is not preserved in the public record. The public edition displays only confirmed alert text.
Context
Background
On the morning of April 19, 2024, Tulane University Police officers responded to a report of an armed suspicious person on the 9th floor of the Hutchinson Memorial Building at 1430 Tulane Avenue, the university's downtown School of Medicine campus. Officers discovered a subject, later identified as an animal care technician employed by the university, inside a laboratory. The individual subsequently shot himself, and officers moved in to provide emergency medical care. The first alert was issued at 7:53 AM CDT shutting down the Hutchinson Building and directing the community to avoid the area. An update at 8:53 AM CDT confirmed no active threat but maintained the building restriction. The building reopened around 9:00 AM CDT with the 9th floor remaining closed as an active crime scene. NOPD reported the shooting was believed to be self-inflicted, and the employee was transported to a hospital in critical condition. The Tulane Public Safety office published a safety notice classifying the incident as an active threat response.
Analysis
Key Findings
The initial report was of an armed suspicious person, triggering a building lockdown before the self-inflicted nature was confirmed
The alert sequence spanned approximately one hour from initial lockdown to the no-active-threat update
The 9th floor of the Hutchinson Building remained closed as a crime scene even after the building reopened
Outcome
The employee was transported to a hospital in critical condition. The 9th floor remained closed as an active crime scene. The building reopened around 9:00 AM CDT with continued police presence. The incident was determined to be self-inflicted, not a threat to others.
Provenance
Sources
- Student Paper
- News
- News
- Official
Cite this case
Campus Alert Archive. "Tulane University: Employee's self-inflicted shooting in a medical school building prompted a lockdown." Incident of April 19, 2024. Added April 2026; last updated July 2026. https://campusalertarchive.com/case/tulane-university-shooting-2024-04-19/
Alert text quoted on this page remains the work of the issuing institution; the archive is a secondary source.
Tags
shootingself-inflictedmedical-schoolworkplacelouisianabuilding-lockdownprivate-university
Added April 2026Updated July 2026Via ingestion