{
  "id": "2024-04-19-tulane-university-shooting",
  "slug": "tulane-university-shooting-2024-04-19",
  "institution": {
    "name": "Tulane University",
    "shortName": "Tulane",
    "state": "LA",
    "type": "private-r1",
    "alertSystemName": "TU Alerts",
    "enrollment": 14000
  },
  "incident": {
    "date": "2024-04-19",
    "type": "shooting",
    "cleryCategory": "emergency-notification",
    "resolution": "confirmed-threat",
    "headline": "Employee's self-inflicted shooting in a medical school building prompted a lockdown",
    "headlinePublic": "Employee's self-inflicted shooting in a medical school building prompted a lockdown",
    "summary": "On April 19, 2024, a Tulane University animal care technician [shot himself on the 9th floor of the Hutchinson Memorial Building](https://tulanehullabaloo.com/65971/news/school-of-medicine-technician-sustains-self-inflicted-gunshot-wound/) 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](https://www.fox8live.com/2024/04/19/no-active-threat-police-activity-prompts-floor-closure-tulanes-hutchinson-building/) directing the community to avoid the School of Medicine.",
    "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.",
    "casualties": {
      "killed": 0,
      "injured": 1
    }
  },
  "alerts": [
    {
      "sequence": 1,
      "type": "initial",
      "timestamp": "2024-04-19T07:53:00-05:00",
      "channel": "push-notification",
      "verbatimText": "",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": false,
      "sourceDescription": "Tulane Hullabaloo and Fox 8 reporting",
      "annotations": []
    },
    {
      "sequence": 2,
      "type": "update",
      "timestamp": "2024-04-19T08:53:00-05:00",
      "channel": "email",
      "verbatimText": "Subject: Safety Notification – INCIDENT RESOLUTION - Active Threat – Hutchinson Building\nOffense: Active Threat\nDate: April 19, 2024\n\nContent Warning: This notification includes information pertaining to active threats and self-harm.\n\nOn Friday April 19, 2024 Tulane University Police Officers responded to a report of an armed suspicious person on the 9th floor of the Hutchinson Building on the Downtown campus. Officers discovered a subject, later identified as an animal care technician, inside a laboratory. The subject subsequently shot himself and officers moved in to begin emergency medical care. The subject was transported to University Medical Center for continued care.\n\nThere is no ongoing threat at this time, however the 9th floor remains an active crime scene and should be avoided until further notice.\n\nResources are available to any Tulane community member affected by this incident.\n\nStudents can call: 504-264-6074\nEmployees can call: 1-800-624-5544",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://publicsafety.tulane.edu/sites/default/files/SafetyNoticeActiveThreatDowntownCampus_041924.pdf",
      "sourceDescription": "TUPD Safety Notification PDF (Active Threat INCIDENT RESOLUTION 04/19/24)",
      "annotations": [
        "Full official TUPD PDF from crime-alerts archive; replaces incomplete Hullabaloo paraphrase.",
        "En-dashes and “self-harm” line break from PDF preserved as “self-harm”. Soft wraps joined."
      ],
      "characterCount": 971
    },
    {
      "sequence": 3,
      "type": "all-clear",
      "timestampApprox": "Approximately 9:00 AM CDT on April 19, 2024",
      "channel": "push-notification",
      "verbatimText": "",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": false,
      "sourceDescription": "Fox 8 and Tulane Hullabaloo reporting",
      "annotations": []
    }
  ],
  "context": "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](https://tulanehullabaloo.com/65971/news/school-of-medicine-technician-sustains-self-inflicted-gunshot-wound/) 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](https://www.fox8live.com/2024/04/19/no-active-threat-police-activity-prompts-floor-closure-tulanes-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](https://www.wwltv.com/article/news/crime/tulane-employee-shoots-themself-inside-a-downtown-campus/289-67cc8eea-511d-487f-a822-02f05280bcae) 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](https://publicsafety.tulane.edu/sites/default/files/SafetyNoticeActiveThreatDowntownCampus_041924.pdf) classifying the incident as an active threat response.",
  "keyFindings": [
    "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"
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "School of Medicine technician sustains self-inflicted gunshot wound (Tulane Hullabaloo)",
      "url": "https://tulanehullabaloo.com/65971/news/school-of-medicine-technician-sustains-self-inflicted-gunshot-wound/",
      "type": "student-newspaper"
    },
    {
      "title": "Employee shot self on Tulane's campus, prompting closure in Hutchinson Building (Fox 8)",
      "url": "https://www.fox8live.com/2024/04/19/no-active-threat-police-activity-prompts-floor-closure-tulanes-hutchinson-building/",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "Tulane employee shoots himself inside a downtown campus building (WWLTV)",
      "url": "https://www.wwltv.com/article/news/crime/tulane-employee-shoots-themself-inside-a-downtown-campus/289-67cc8eea-511d-487f-a822-02f05280bcae",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "Tulane Public Safety Active Threat Notice (PDF)",
      "url": "https://publicsafety.tulane.edu/sites/default/files/SafetyNoticeActiveThreatDowntownCampus_041924.pdf",
      "type": "official-archive"
    }
  ],
  "confidence": "high",
  "tags": [
    "shooting",
    "self-inflicted",
    "medical-school",
    "workplace",
    "louisiana",
    "building-lockdown",
    "private-university"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-04-04",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-07-20",
  "addedBy": "ingestion"
}