After shots were fired near NEIU’s Main Campus, the university was placed in a lockdown and the NEIU community were told to shelter in place.
According to witnesses, about 10 shots were fired near the NEST at 8:50 p.m on Thursday, October 26, 2023. The campus was locked down at 9 p.m.
According to statements from NEIU Campus Police officers, suspects were moving through the Bohemian Cemetery toward NEIU Parking Lot F. The lockdown was issued when the suspects came close to the campus.
According to the WindyCity Weather and News Scanner on X (formerly known as Twitter), one vehicle crashed into the cemetery fence, and the suspects left the vehicle and went toward the campus.
One eyewitness heard a helicopter overhead around 9:05 p.m. and heard an officer’s radio saying armed officers were going into the NEIU parking garage. It was also confirmed via Citizen App, from a police audio recording, that officers on the scene requested “air support” to help find the suspects.
The NEIU access road along the west side of the campus was blocked off for a time.
According to NEIU Campus Police, all suspects are in custody, and no one was shot, killed, or injured.
According to the 16th & 17th District Chicago Police Scanner on X, three suspects were arrested and four weapons were recovered, as well as shell casings, near Central Park and Foster.
At 9:45 PM, N-Safe Alert through the Campus Shield App notified the NEIU community that the situation had been resolved with all suspects in custody. The Citizen App was also updating about the shooting, confirming that the lockdown was lifted and that the suspect was in custody.
One student, who was sheltering near the Student Lounge, said, “I can’t believe this is happening right now, I just came here for fucking food.”
According to multiple students, the announcement over NEIU’s public address system announcing the all-clear was muffled in some rooms. One student had to open their door in order to hear the announcement.
NEIU Campus Police Chief Joseph Przybyla declined to comment on the situation to the Independent, directing all comments to Chris Childers, NEIU’s Executive Director of Marketing and Communications.
At 12:26 a.m, on October 27, 2023, NEIU issued a Targeted Announcement with details of the incident in which it said, “We acknowledge the anxiety and fear those on campus this evening may have felt during this episode and we thank you for your cooperation while sheltered in place. A safe environment is crucial to our campus community and Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) is committed to the safety and security of our faculty, staff, and students.”
Continue to watch The Independent website for further updates.