{
  "id": "2023-09-03-ferris-state-university-finch-court-possible-discharge",
  "slug": "ferris-state-university-finch-court-possible-discharge-2023-09-03",
  "institution": {
    "name": "Ferris State University",
    "shortName": "Ferris State",
    "state": "MI",
    "type": "public-masters",
    "alertSystemName": "Ferris Emergency Notification"
  },
  "incident": {
    "date": "2023-09-03",
    "type": "weapon-scare",
    "cleryCategory": "emergency-notification",
    "headline": "Officer reports a possible gunshot while dispersing a party; search finds no evidence",
    "headlinePublic": "Officer reports a possible gunshot while dispersing a party; search finds no evidence",
    "summary": "On the night of Saturday, September 2-3, 2023, [Ferris State University's Department of Public Safety responded to a large gathering at an apartment near Finch Court on campus](https://wwmt.com/news/local/investigation-underway-possible-shooting-incident-ferris-state-university-discharged-weapon-finch-court-sports-drive-safety-precaution) and an officer heard a sound that could have been a weapon discharging. The university issued an emergency alert out of an abundance of caution, and five law enforcement agencies swept the area. [No shell casings, weapons, or evidence of a shooting were found](https://www.wzzm13.com/article/news/investigations/ferris-state-no-evidence-of-shooting/69-90eee2e4-7306-4a73-a7c5-fff204dd4c9f) and the scene was cleared the same night.",
    "outcome": "Five police agencies searched the area near Finch Court and Sports Drive and found no evidence that a weapon had been discharged. No shell casings or injuries were reported. The university asked anyone with information to contact campus police.",
    "resolution": "false-alarm",
    "casualties": {
      "killed": 0,
      "injured": 0
    }
  },
  "alerts": [
    {
      "sequence": 1,
      "type": "initial",
      "timestampApprox": "September 3, 2023; the notification described the incident as occurring 'during the late evening hours on Saturday'",
      "channel": "email",
      "verbatimText": "The University is aware of an incident during the late evening hours on Saturday. After our Department of Public Safety dispersed a party near Finch Court, it is believed that someone in a vehicle leaving the area may have discharged a weapon on or near Sports Drive. Campus Police are closely monitoring the area and are investigating. We want you to know that your safety is our highest priority. We do not believe that there is an imminent threat of danger to our campus at this time. However, you are encouraged to come forwards if you have information that may be pertinent to our investigation. Call the Department of Public Safety at 231-591-5000.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://wwmt.com/news/local/investigation-underway-possible-shooting-incident-ferris-state-university-discharged-weapon-finch-court-sports-drive-safety-precaution",
      "sourceDescription": "WWMT full reproduction of Ferris State University emergency notification email (complete text visible on page)",
      "annotations": [
        "The notification's 'come forwards' phrasing is preserved as written; the same wording appears on Ferris State's own Emergency Notification Center page, confirming it is the university's typo rather than a media transcription error.",
        "The responding officer had been dispatched to break up a large party gathering near Finch Court when they heard the sound that prompted the notification; the message explicitly tells recipients there is no imminent threat rather than instructing them to shelter."
      ],
      "characterCount": 654
    },
    {
      "sequence": 2,
      "type": "all-clear",
      "timestampApprox": "Later the same evening, September 3, 2023, after the multi-agency search concluded",
      "channel": "sms",
      "verbatimText": "",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": false,
      "sourceDescription": "Reconstructed from WZZM13 reporting that Ferris officials confirmed no evidence of a shooting was found and the scene was cleared",
      "annotations": []
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "Investigation continues after possible shooting incident at Ferris State University - WWMT",
      "url": "https://wwmt.com/news/local/investigation-underway-possible-shooting-incident-ferris-state-university-discharged-weapon-finch-court-sports-drive-safety-precaution",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "Police find no evidence of shooting at Ferris State - WZZM13",
      "url": "https://www.wzzm13.com/article/news/investigations/ferris-state-no-evidence-of-shooting/69-90eee2e4-7306-4a73-a7c5-fff204dd4c9f",
      "type": "local-media"
    }
  ],
  "context": "On the night of September 2-3, 2023, [Ferris State University Public Safety officers responded to a large party gathering near Finch Court apartments on the Big Rapids campus](https://wwmt.com/news/local/investigation-underway-possible-shooting-incident-ferris-state-university-discharged-weapon-finch-court-sports-drive-safety-precaution). While officers were dispersing the crowd, one officer heard a sound that could have been a firearm discharging from a vehicle on or near Sports Drive. The university immediately issued an alert and five police agencies responded to sweep the area. [WZZM13 reported that investigators found no shell casings, no weapons, and no evidence that any weapon was fired](https://www.wzzm13.com/article/news/investigations/ferris-state-no-evidence-of-shooting/69-90eee2e4-7306-4a73-a7c5-fff204dd4c9f). The university asked anyone with information to contact the Department of Public Safety. The incident coincided with the start of the fall 2023 semester -- a period when large off-campus gatherings and noise complaints are historically elevated at residential campuses. Ferris State, a regional public comprehensive university in Big Rapids, Michigan, enrolls approximately 10,000 students across its main campus and online programs.",
  "confidence": "medium",
  "tags": [
    "weapon-scare",
    "false-alarm",
    "party-dispersal",
    "michigan",
    "big-rapids",
    "multi-agency-response",
    "no-evidence"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-05-31",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-07-18",
  "addedBy": "ingestion"
}