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.
UC Berkeley
Gunshots near the campus track prompt a lockdown and six-hour search; no suspect found
AI-generated · every claim is source-linkedUnder Investigation
On the morning of August 8, 2024, two shots were fired near UC Berkeley's Clark Kerr Track at approximately 7:40 AM PDT, triggering a campus lockdown and a roughly six-hour multi-agency search involving K-9 units and officers with long guns. The lockdown was lifted at approximately 1:40 PM PDT after police exhausted all search resources without locating the suspect.
- Alerts
- 3
- Response
- —
- Killed
- 0
- Injured
- 0
~45,000 studentsWarnMe
Official alert policy
Read when and how UC Berkeley says it will use WarnMe: summarized, quoted, and analyzed.
Documented Timeline
Alert Sequence
3 messages in sequence · 2 verified verbatim
Confirmed wording is transcribed character-for-character from a primary source. Use Verify this quote under each message to open that source in a new tab and compare the text yourself.
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Verified verbatim182 chars
If you cannot avoid the area of Clark Kerr Campus and Hillside Campus, lockdown or secure in place. It is not safe to be outside in the area of Clark Kerr Campus and Hillside Campus.
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Berkeleyside reporting which quoted the WarnMe alert verbatimberkeleyside.orgarchived copyVerbatim text confirmed via direct quotation in Berkeleyside reporting from the WarnMe alert issued shortly before 9 a.m. PDT on August 8, 2024
This update was sent shortly before 9:00 AM PDT on August 8, 2024, escalating the response from an advisory to a lockdown order
Multiple law enforcement agencies responded, including UCSF Police, Alameda County Sheriff, Contra Costa County Sheriff, and East Bay Regional Park District Police
Verified verbatim206 chars
UCPD and Campus Administration have determined that there is no longer a known threat to campus and normal operations can resume, but we advise community members in the area to continue to exercise caution.
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Berkeleyside reporting which quoted the final WarnMe alert verbatimberkeleyside.orgarchived copyVerbatim text confirmed via direct quotation in Berkeleyside reporting from the final WarnMe alert that lifted the lockdown
The all-clear was issued at approximately 1:40 PM PDT on August 8, 2024, nearly six hours after the initial shots were reported
Multiple police agencies conducted an exhaustive search but the suspect was not apprehended
Context
Background
At approximately 7:40 AM PDT on August 8, 2024, UC Berkeley police responded to reports of two shots fired near Clark Kerr Track on the eastern edge of campus. The campus ShotSpotter system detected the gunfire. A WarnMe alert was distributed shortly before 8:00 AM PDT, and the UC Berkeley Emergency Operations Center was activated. By 9:00 AM PDT, the university escalated the warning to a lockdown order for anyone in the Clark Kerr and Hillside Campus areas. The search expanded to Panoramic Way as multiple law enforcement agencies, including UCSF Police, Alameda County Sheriff's Office, Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office, and East Bay Regional Park District Police, joined the manhunt with K-9 units and officers with long guns. The suspect was described by witnesses as a white male wearing a black shirt, black pants, and a red backpack, with bleached hair showing possible red or orange highlights. Cal football postponed its Thursday practice due to the lockdown. After nearly six hours, police concluded the search at approximately 1:40 PM PDT without locating the suspect.
Analysis
Key Findings
The campus ShotSpotter system enabled rapid detection of gunfire, and the first WarnMe alert was distributed within approximately 15 minutes
The search lasted nearly six hours and involved at least five law enforcement agencies, but the suspect was never apprehended
Cal football postponed its Thursday practice due to the lockdown affecting the Clark Kerr area
Outcome
No injuries were reported. The suspect, described as a white male with bleached hair and a red backpack, was never apprehended. The lockdown was lifted at approximately 1:40 PM PDT after an exhaustive search.
Provenance
Sources
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Cite this case
Campus Alert Archive. "University of California, Berkeley: Gunshots near the campus track prompt a lockdown and six-hour search; no suspect found." Incident of August 8, 2024. Added May 2026; last updated July 2026. https://campusalertarchive.com/case/uc-berkeley-gunfire-2024-08-08/
Alert text quoted on this page remains the work of the issuing institution; the archive is a secondary source.
Tags
shootingcaliforniamanhuntlockdownclark-kerrmulti-agency-responseshotspottersuspect-at-largeUnder Investigation
Added May 2026Updated July 2026Via ingestion