Campus Alert Archive
Marshall

12:56 AM in the 1400 Block of 5th Avenue: Marshall's Sunday-Morning Shots-Fired Notice Quoting Three to Fifteen Rounds

WVshootingtimely warningmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

On the early morning of September 8, 2024, shots were fired in the 1400 block of 5th Avenue near Marshall University's Huntington campus just after midnight. The Marshall University community was notified via the MU Alert emergency system at approximately 12:56 AM EDT. Cabell County 911 dispatchers said callers reported hearing between three and 15 shots. No arrests were made and no transports by Cabell County EMS were reported.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
0
Institution
Marshall University
Public R2 · WV
~11,800 studentsMU Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

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 ALERTSMS
Approximate reconstruction132 chars
MU ALERT: Shots fired reported in the 1400 block of 5th Avenue. Avoid the area. Huntington Police are responding. Updates to follow.

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

Sent at approximately 12:56 AM EDT on Sunday, September 8, 2024 — early morning hours during football game weekend traffic in the 5th Avenue corridor
The 1400 block of 5th Avenue is immediately adjacent to Marshall's main academic campus
MU Alert is the Marshall University emergency notification system administered through Rave Mobile Safety, reaching SMS, email, voice, and outdoor mass notification simultaneously
ALL CLEARSMS
Approximate reconstruction177 chars
MU ALERT: Huntington Police have cleared the area in the 1400 block of 5th Avenue. No victims or suspects have been located. The area is reopening. Normal operations may resume.

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

Cabell County 911 callers reported hearing between three and 15 shots, but Huntington Police found no shell casings, victims, or suspects on arrival
The investigation continued in subsequent days without arrests
The 5th Avenue corridor adjacent to Marshall has been the site of multiple late-night/early-morning shots-fired calls in recent years
Context

Background

Marshall University is a public R2 doctoral institution serving approximately 11,800 students in Huntington, West Virginia. The campus's main academic core sits along 5th Avenue, with off-campus student housing and apartments adjacent to the academic buildings. On the early morning of September 8, 2024, shots were fired in the 1400 block of 5th Avenue just after midnight. The Marshall University community received an MU Alert notification at approximately 12:56 AM EDT. Cabell County 911 dispatchers said callers reported hearing between three and 15 shots — a notably wide range that often indicates uncertainty among earwitnesses. Huntington Police responded but did not locate a victim or suspect, and no Cabell County EMS transports were initiated. The case is significant for the campus alert archive because it documents how Marshall's MU Alert system extended its timely-warning coverage to immediately-adjacent off-campus blocks during early-morning hours when students and visitors were transitioning between bars, apartments, and campus housing along the 5th Avenue corridor — a recurring pattern of shots-fired alerts that has shaped Marshall's perimeter-security investments in subsequent years.
Analysis

Key Findings

MU Alert was sent at approximately 12:56 AM EDT — within minutes of the first 911 call
Cabell County 911 callers reported hearing between three and 15 shots — a wide range typical of late-night earwitness uncertainty
Huntington Police did not locate a victim, suspect, or shell casings on arrival, and no EMS transports were initiated
The 5th Avenue corridor adjacent to Marshall has been the site of multiple late-night shots-fired calls in recent years
The case illustrates how Marshall's MU Alert extends timely-warning coverage to immediately-adjacent off-campus blocks during early-morning hours
Outcome
Huntington Police responded to the 1400 block of 5th Avenue but did not locate a victim or suspect. No one was arrested, no Cabell County EMS transports were initiated. Marshall's MU Alert directed students and staff to avoid the area until police cleared the scene. The investigation continued without identified suspects.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Shots fired near Marshall campus early Sunday morning - Herald-Dispatch
    herald-dispatch.com
  2. News
    Late night shooting near Marshall's campus - WOWK 13 News
    wowktv.com
  3. Official
    MU Alert - Marshall University Emergency Information
    marshall.edu
  4. Official
    MU Alert Frequently Asked Questions - Marshall University
    marshall.edu
Tags
shots-firedshootingwest-virginiamarshall-universityhuntington5th-avenueoff-campus-perimeterearly-morningtimely-warningcabell-county
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion