Students, Faculty, and Staff:
Many of you are waking up to the news of an early morning shooting incident on our campus. While I can thankfully report that this event did not result in a tragic loss of life, it is deeply concerning that something like this can happen on and around a college campus and that violence is becoming so prevalent in our society. This email is intended to provide as much information as possible at this time.
At approximately 1:08 a.m., an altercation in the Student Success Center parking lot near the intersection of Donaghey Avenue and Bruce Street resulted in shots being fired.
A student, who was a bystander, sustained a gunshot wound to the leg and was transported to Conway Regional Medical Center for treatment. As of approximately 5 a.m., the student had been released, was home with family, and in good spirits. No other injuries have been reported to police at this time.
One suspect is in custody. There is no indication that this individual is a current or former UCA student. At this time, we believe this was an isolated incident.
We know that this incident and other campus shootings nationally in recent days and weeks have given us all a sense of anxiety and concern regarding college campus safety. This is a troubling pattern, and we understand and share in that sentiment.
We work daily to provide a safe and accessible campus for our students, faculty, staff, and constituents. It takes all of us working together to make this happen. This is an ongoing investigation. Anyone with information regarding this case should contact the UCA Police Department at (501) 450-3111.
We will communicate with campus in the event there are additional updates. In the meantime, the UCA Counseling Center is available at (501) 450-3138 if students or anyone in our campus community is in need of their services.
Sincerely,
Houston Davis
President