Campus Alert Archive
U-M

Catherine and Zina Pitcher: Stabbing at Kahn Pavilion Construction Site Triggers Manhunt

MIstabbingemergency notificationhigh confidence
Confirmed Threat

Around 6:20 PM EDT on September 18, 2025, a man was stabbed at the Kahn Health Care Pavilion construction site on the University of Michigan medical campus after the suspect was denied entry. U-M Emergency Alert sent two messages — initial at 6:20 PM and a suspect-description follow-up at 7:11 PM — and the suspect, Lagarien Thomas, 33, was arrested at 11:34 PM EDT after a five-hour Ann Arbor manhunt.

Alerts
3
Response
1 min
Killed
0
Injured
1
Institution
University of Michigan
Public R1 · MI
~52,000 studentsRaveU-M Emergency Alert
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 ALERTWEA/IPAWS
Verified verbatimU-M DPSS official X (Twitter) post mirroring the EAlert push90 chars
UM EAlert Ann Arbor: 6:21pm Stabbing occurred Catherine/Zina Pitcher. Avoid Area. Updates:
Verbatim text of the UM EAlert sent at 6:21 PM EDT on September 18, 2025 — pushed simultaneously via SMS, email, and X
DPSS uses minimalist 'EAlert' text (under 160 characters) so the SMS variant fits in a single message and includes a link for updates
The Catherine Street and Zina Pitcher Place intersection sits at the heart of the U-M Medical Campus next to the Kahn Pavilion construction site
UPDATESMS+50 min
Approximate reconstructionU-M DPSS 9/18/25 Emergency Alert page151 chars
U-M Emergency Alert Update: Suspect described as a heavyset male wearing a white shirt, tie, and jeans. If seen, do not approach. Call 911 immediately.

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

Reconstructed from CBS Detroit and Click On Detroit reporting that paraphrased the 7:11 PM EDT update
The suspect description came from witnesses at the Kahn Pavilion construction site after the assailant fled
U-M's emergency-alert protocol uses follow-up updates rather than separate alert IDs to avoid alert fatigue
ALL CLEARSMS
Approximate reconstruction146 chars
U-M Emergency Alert: Suspect in the Catherine St. stabbing has been taken into custody by Ann Arbor Police. There is no longer a threat to campus.

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

Reconstructed all-clear; Click On Detroit confirmed the arrest at 11:34 PM EDT and DPSS sent a follow-up alert shortly thereafter
U-M routinely closes out emergency alerts with an all-clear message even when the underlying incident has shifted to investigation
Context

Background

On the evening of Thursday, September 18, 2025, a man attempted to enter the D. Dan and Betty Kahn Health Care Pavilion construction site on U-M's medical campus near the intersection of Catherine Street and Zina Pitcher Place. After being denied entry, Lagarien Thomas, 33, allegedly stabbed a construction worker and fled. U-M's Division of Public Safety and Security issued an emergency alert at approximately 6:20 PM EDT, followed by a suspect-description update at 7:11 PM EDT after witnesses provided more detail. Ann Arbor Police led a five-hour manhunt and arrested Thomas at 11:34 PM EDT. The victim survived with non-life-threatening injuries. The incident drew renewed attention to construction-site security on the medical campus and to U-M's use of layered alert updates rather than single mass notifications during evolving threats.
Analysis

Key Findings

U-M's three-message alert pattern (initial, suspect description, all-clear) is consistent with DPSS emergency-notification protocol for active suspects
The 51-minute gap between the initial alert and the suspect-description update reflects the time required to obtain a usable description from witnesses
The case shows the value of geographically specific alerts: the initial message named the exact intersection rather than a generic 'medical campus' designation
U-M Emergency Alert remained active for roughly 5 hours and 14 minutes from initial alert to all-clear
Outcome
Lagarien Thomas, 33, was arrested by Ann Arbor Police at approximately 11:34 PM EDT on September 18, 2025. The victim — a construction worker — was transported with non-life-threatening injuries.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Official
    MEDIA RELEASE: Stabbing Near Catherine Street and Zina Pitcher Place (DPSS)
    dpss.umich.edu
  2. Official
    U-M Emergency Alert 9/18/25 (DPSS)
    dpss.umich.edu
  3. News
    Suspect in custody after one person stabbed on University of Michigan campus (CBS Detroit)
    cbsnews.com
  4. News
    University of Michigan Stabbing Incident: Suspect Apprehended Following Manhunt (Campus Safety Magazine)
    campussafetymagazine.com
  5. News
    University of Michigan stabbing suspect arrested (FOX 2 Detroit)
    fox2detroit.com
Tags
stabbingmichiganpublic-r1medical-campusmanhuntconstruction-siteu-m-emergency-alert
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion