Campus Alert Archive
UIowa

Knife threats near a science building prompt alert; suspect later arrested

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Confirmed Threat

On April 4, 2024, the University of Iowa issued a Hawk Alert at 9:42 AM CDT after reports of a man making threats with a knife near Van Allen Hall. The suspect, later identified by police as Jonathan Kim, 47, was wearing jeans and a dark jacket and was last seen near the science building.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
University of Iowa
Public R1 · IA
All UIowa cases →
~31,240 studentsHawk Alert
Official alert policy
Read when and how UIowa says it will use Hawk Alert: summarized, quoted, and analyzed.
Documented Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence · 2 verified verbatim

Confirmed wording is transcribed character-for-character from a primary source. Use Verify this quote under each message to open that source in a new tab and compare the text yourself.

INITIAL ALERTSMS
Verified verbatim152 chars
HAWK ALERT: Male subject making threats with a knife wearing jeans and a dark jacket last seen near Van Allen, avoid the area. More: emergency.uiowa.edu
Verify this quote
University of Iowa Hawk Alert Archive (page title = full SMS)emergency.uiowa.edufind archived copies
Verbatim text confirmed from the University of Iowa Emergency Updates page
Van Allen Hall is a major science building on the east side of the Pentacrest, housing the Department of Physics and Astronomy
ALL CLEARSMS+59 min
Verified verbatim135 chars
HAWK ALERT: No injuries were reported. Police continue to investigate. Resume normal activity. See http://emergency.uiowa.edu for more.
Verify this quote
UI Hawk Alert page situation update 04/04/2024 10:41 AM (full HAWK ALERT SMS text)emergency.uiowa.edufind archived copies
Situation-update HAWK ALERT on the official knife-threat page dated 04/04/2024 10:41 AM.
Prior confirmed template reused other incidents' resume-normal-activity wording; replaced with incident-specific text.
Uses http://emergency.uiowa.edu (not https) as posted on the archive page.
Message elements

How the first alert is built

To check this alert, Claude (an AI) read it in full 25 separate times, independently. Each read decided whether the message answers each of the six questions and gave a short reason. A final reviewer then weighed all 25 and wrote the plain-English verdict you see when you open a row. The score (for example 22/25) is how many reads agreed; the 25 individual reads are tucked underneath if you want to check them.

HAWK ALERT: Male subject making threats with a knife wearing jeans and a dark jacket last seen near Van Allen, avoid the area. More: emergency.uiowa.edu

  • Sourcepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous: signed with the branded HAWK ALERT signature identifying the University of Iowa's system.

    Who is sending the alert and who is responding. People act faster on a message from a clearly identifiable, credible sender, such as a named department, the police, or a branded alert system, than on an anonymous notice. A branded signature counts.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: Signed 'HAWK ALERT'.
    2. present: 'HAWK ALERT' branded signature
    3. present: Branded 'HAWK ALERT' (University of Iowa).
    4. present: 'HAWK ALERT' branded signature identifies Iowa's system.
    5. present: 'HAWK ALERT' branded signature identifies the sender.
    6. present: Signed 'HAWK ALERT'.
    7. present: 'HAWK ALERT' branded signature identifies sender.
    8. present: 'HAWK ALERT' branded signature identifies the sender.
    9. present: Branded 'HAWK ALERT' identifies the University of Iowa alert system.
    10. present: 'HAWK ALERT' branded signature.
    11. present: Labeled 'HAWK ALERT'.
    12. present: 'HAWK ALERT' branded signature identifies the sender.
    13. present: 'HAWK ALERT' branded signature.
    14. present: Branded 'HAWK ALERT' signature (Iowa).
    15. present: Branded 'HAWK ALERT' identifies the issuing alert system.
    16. present: Branded 'HAWK ALERT' signature.
    17. present: 'HAWK ALERT' branded signature identifies the sending system.
    18. present: Signed 'HAWK ALERT' identifying the alert system.
    19. present: Branded 'HAWK ALERT' signature.
    20. present: 'HAWK ALERT' branded signature identifies sender.
    21. present: Signed 'HAWK ALERT'.
    22. present: Branded 'HAWK ALERT' identifies the issuing system
    23. present: Signed 'HAWK ALERT'.
    24. present: Branded 'HAWK ALERT' signature identifies the sender.
    25. present: Branded 'HAWK ALERT' referencing emergency.uiowa.edu.
  • Hazardpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous: names a male subject making threats with a knife.

    What the threat actually is. A complete warning names the specific danger, such as a shooter, a fire, a tornado, or a gas leak, rather than a vague emergency, because people decide what to do based on what they are facing.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: Names a subject 'making threats with a knife'.
    2. present: 'Male subject making threats with a knife' names hazard
    3. present: States 'Male subject making threats with a knife'.
    4. present: 'Male subject making threats with a knife' names the hazard.
    5. present: Names a subject 'making threats with a knife'.
    6. present: Names subject 'making threats with a knife'.
    7. present: 'Male subject making threats with a knife' names specific hazard.
    8. present: States 'Male subject making threats with a knife'.
    9. present: States 'Male subject making threats with a knife.'
    10. present: 'Male subject making threats with a knife' names hazard.
    11. present: Names subject 'making threats with a knife'.
    12. present: Names 'threats with a knife.'
    13. present: 'Male subject making threats with a knife.'
    14. present: States 'Male subject making threats with a knife'.
    15. present: States 'making threats with a knife' specifically.
    16. present: States 'Male subject making threats with a knife'.
    17. present: 'Male subject making threats with a knife' names the hazard.
    18. present: States 'Male subject making threats with a knife'.
    19. present: States 'Male subject making threats with a knife'.
    20. present: 'Male subject making threats with a knife' names specific hazard.
    21. present: Describes 'subject making threats with a knife'.
    22. present: States 'Male subject making threats with a knife'
    23. present: Describes 'Male subject making threats with a knife'.
    24. present: States subject 'making threats with a knife'.
    25. present: States 'Male subject making threats with a knife'.
  • Locationpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous: gives the location as near Van Allen.

    Where the threat is. Saying whether danger is in a specific building, a part of campus, or area-wide lets people judge their own proximity and choose a safe direction. Without a where, a warning is hard to act on precisely.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: Says 'last seen near Van Allen'.
    2. present: 'near Van Allen' named
    3. present: Names 'near Van Allen'.
    4. present: 'near Van Allen' specified.
    5. present: Names the area near Van Allen.
    6. present: Names 'near Van Allen'.
    7. present: 'last seen near Van Allen' given.
    8. present: Says 'last seen near Van Allen'.
    9. present: Names 'near Van Allen.'
    10. present: 'near Van Allen' named.
    11. present: Names area 'near Van Allen'.
    12. present: Names 'near Van Allen.'
    13. present: 'last seen near Van Allen.'
    14. present: Names 'near Van Allen'.
    15. present: Names area near Van Allen.
    16. present: Names 'near Van Allen'.
    17. present: 'near Van Allen' names the location.
    18. present: Names 'near Van Allen'.
    19. present: Names 'near Van Allen'.
    20. present: 'near Van Allen' names location.
    21. present: Names 'near Van Allen'.
    22. present: Names 'near Van Allen'
    23. present: States 'last seen near Van Allen'.
    24. present: Names 'near Van Allen'.
    25. present: Names 'near Van Allen'.
  • Guidancepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous: instructs recipients to avoid the area.

    The protective action to take. A clear, specific instruction, such as shelter in place, evacuate, avoid the area, or run-hide-fight, drives faster and more correct protective behavior than describing the threat alone.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: Instructs 'avoid the area'.
    2. present: 'avoid the area' instructs recipients
    3. present: Instructs to 'avoid the area.'
    4. present: 'avoid the area' is direct instruction.
    5. present: Instructs to 'avoid the area'.
    6. present: Instructs to 'avoid the area'.
    7. present: 'avoid the area' is direct instruction.
    8. present: Instructs to 'avoid the area'.
    9. present: Instructs 'avoid the area.'
    10. present: 'avoid the area' instructs recipients.
    11. present: Instructs to 'avoid the area'.
    12. present: Instructs 'avoid the area.'
    13. present: 'avoid the area.'
    14. present: Instructs to 'avoid the area'.
    15. present: Instructs to 'avoid the area.'
    16. present: Instructs 'avoid the area'.
    17. present: 'avoid the area' is an instruction.
    18. present: Instructs 'avoid the area'.
    19. present: Instructs 'avoid the area'.
    20. present: 'avoid the area' gives protective action.
    21. present: Instructs 'avoid the area'.
    22. present: Instructs 'avoid the area'
    23. present: Instructs 'avoid the area'.
    24. present: Instructs 'avoid the area'.
    25. present: Instructs 'avoid the area'.
  • Timeabsent0/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous: no clock time or date given, only the vague marker 'last seen'.

    When the message applies. A timestamp, the word now or immediately, or a phrase like until further notice tells the reader whether the danger is current and how quickly to act.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. absent: No time given.
    2. absent: no clock time or date given
    3. absent: No clock time or date, only 'last seen'.
    4. absent: No clock time given, only 'last seen'.
    5. absent: No time given, only 'last seen'.
    6. absent: No time reference given.
    7. absent: No clock time or date given.
    8. absent: No clock time or date given, only 'last seen'.
    9. absent: No clock time or date given.
    10. absent: No clock time or date given.
    11. absent: No time given.
    12. absent: No clock time given, only 'last seen.'
    13. absent: No clock time or date given.
    14. absent: No time or date given.
    15. absent: No clock time or date given.
    16. absent: No clock time or date given.
    17. absent: 'last seen' implies recency but no clock time given.
    18. absent: No clock time or date given, only 'last seen'.
    19. absent: No clock time or date given.
    20. absent: No clock time or date given.
    21. absent: No time given, only 'last seen'.
    22. absent: No specific time given
    23. absent: No clock time or date included.
    24. absent: No clock time or date given, only 'last seen'.
    25. absent: No time reference given.
  • Impactabsent0/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous: no stated consequence or severity beyond naming the knife threat itself.

    What the hazard could do to the people in its path. Beyond naming the threat, a complete warning conveys its potential consequences or severity, such as that a tornado can level buildings or that a leak could be explosive, so recipients grasp how much danger they are in. Research on warning message content finds that a concrete impact statement helps people personalize their risk and act sooner.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. absent: No stated consequence.
    2. absent: no stated consequence or severity
    3. absent: No stated consequence or severity beyond naming the knife threat.
    4. absent: No stated potential harm or severity.
    5. absent: No stated potential harm.
    6. absent: No stated potential harm or severity.
    7. absent: No stated consequence beyond naming the threat itself.
    8. absent: No explicit statement of danger or potential harm.
    9. absent: No stated potential harm beyond the threat description.
    10. absent: No stated consequence beyond the threat description.
    11. absent: No stated consequence or severity.
    12. absent: No explicit statement of severity or potential harm.
    13. absent: No stated consequence beyond hazard description.
    14. absent: No explicit statement of potential harm.
    15. absent: No explicit statement of harm or severity beyond the threat description.
    16. absent: No explicit statement of harm beyond the threat description.
    17. absent: No stated consequence or severity.
    18. absent: No explicit statement of potential harm beyond the knife threat description.
    19. absent: No explicit statement of potential harm beyond naming the threat.
    20. absent: No stated consequence or severity conveyed.
    21. absent: No stated consequence beyond naming the threat.
    22. absent: No stated potential harm beyond the threat description
    23. absent: No stated potential harm beyond naming the threat.
    24. absent: No explicit statement of potential harm.
    25. absent: No stated potential harm beyond naming the threat.

Systematic AI judgments with visible reasoning, not human-validated codings.

About this analysis
Context

Background

On the morning of April 4, 2024, Iowa City and University of Iowa Police responded to reports of a man carrying a knife near the intersection of North Dubuque and Jefferson streets, close to Van Allen Hall on the University of Iowa campus. The university issued a Hawk Alert at 9:42 AM CDT, the first such alert of the spring semester, describing the suspect as a male wearing jeans and a dark jacket. The alert prompted shelter-in-place responses in nearby buildings during morning classes. Iowa City police later clarified that "no threats were made" directly to individuals, though witnesses reported the man was behaving erratically with a knife. An all-clear was issued approximately one hour later. In May 2024, Jonathan Kim, 47, was arrested and charged with assault while displaying a dangerous weapon in connection with the incident. The Daily Iowan later published an analysis of Hawk Alert decision-making in response to this incident.
Analysis

Key Findings

The Hawk Alert text was confirmed verbatim from the University of Iowa Emergency Updates page
Iowa City police later clarified that no direct threats were made to individuals despite the alert describing 'threats with a knife'
The incident prompted a Daily Iowan investigation into how university officials decide when to issue a Hawk Alert
Outcome
An all-clear was issued approximately one hour later. Jonathan Kim was later arrested and charged with assault while displaying a dangerous weapon. Iowa City police confirmed no direct threats were made against individuals and no injuries occurred.
Provenance

Sources

Every claim on this page is meant to be checkable. Open the links below (and the Verify this quote control under each confirmed alert) to read the original university, news, or archive page yourself. Hostnames are shown so you can see where you are going; archived copies survive when live pages move or disappear. See also our methodology.

  1. Official
    HAWK ALERT: Male subject making threats with a knife (University of Iowa Emergency Updates)
    emergency.uiowa.edu
    archived copy
  2. Official
    Arrest made following April 4 Hawk Alert (UI Police Department)
    police.uiowa.edu
    archived copy
  3. News
    UI issues Hawk Alert for knife threat, last seen near Van Allen Hall (CBS2 Iowa)
    cbs2iowa.com
    archived copy
  4. News
    Iowa City police: 'No threats were made' in Hawk Alert incident (The Gazette)
    thegazette.com
    archived copy
  5. Student Paper
    Here's how UI officials decide what goes into a Hawk Alert (Daily Iowan)
    dailyiowan.com
    archived copy
  6. Official
    Hawk Alert Archive — University of Iowa Emergency Updates
    emergency.uiowa.edu
    archived copy
Cite this case

Campus Alert Archive. "University of Iowa: Knife threats near a science building prompt alert; suspect later arrested." Incident of April 4, 2024. Added May 2026; last updated July 2026. https://campusalertarchive.com/case/university-of-iowa-armed-person-2024-04-04/

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Alert text quoted on this page remains the work of the issuing institution; the archive is a secondary source.

Tags
armed-personknifeiowabig-tenhawk-alertvan-allen-hallmorning-incidentarrest
Added May 2026Updated July 2026Via ingestion