Campus Alert Archive
UK

One Shot, Ten Hurt by Shrapnel at a Theta Chi Party — and a UK Alert at 12:02 a.m.

KYshootingemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

A single gunshot fired during a fight at an off-campus house party tied to the Theta Chi fraternity at 205 University Avenue injured 11 University of Kentucky students late on September 7, 2022. One female student was struck in the leg and ten others were hurt by shrapnel and the ensuing panic, all with non-life-threatening injuries. UK Alert sent a text message at 12:02 a.m. on September 8 warning the campus community to avoid the area.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
11
Institution
University of Kentucky
Public R1 · KY
~32,000 studentsUK 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 reconstructionUKNow official campus news (alert timing confirmed; wording reconstructed)137 chars
UK Alert: Police are responding to a shooting at an off-campus house party on University Ave. Avoid the area. More information to follow.

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

UKNow confirms a UK Alert text went out at 12:02 a.m. on September 8, 2022, ten minutes after Lexington police were called to the 200 block of University Avenue at 11:52 p.m.; the exact wording is reconstructed from the reported content (notification of the incident plus a warning to avoid the area), so this alert is marked unconfirmed.
The alert reached students roughly ten minutes after the first 911 call, a fast turnaround for an off-campus location just north of campus.
UK classified the response as an avoid-the-area notification rather than a shelter-in-place because the shooting was at an off-campus house, not on the academic core.
ALL CLEAREmail
Approximate reconstructionKentucky Kernel (no-threat follow-up reconstructed)198 chars
UK Alert: The earlier off-campus shooting investigation is being handled by Lexington police. There is no ongoing threat to campus. Eleven UK students were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

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

UK and the Kentucky Kernel reported that one student was shot in the leg and ten more were treated at UK Chandler Hospital for non-gunshot shrapnel injuries, all non-life-threatening; the follow-up message wording is reconstructed from that coverage and is marked unconfirmed.
Because the gunfire occurred at an off-campus party handled by Lexington police, the resolution emphasized jurisdiction and the absence of an ongoing campus threat rather than lifting a shelter order.
The casualty framing of '11 students' counts the one gunshot victim plus ten shrapnel/panic injuries, consistent across UKNow and the Kernel.
Context

Background

The shooting happened during the first weeks of the fall 2022 semester at 205 University Avenue, an off-campus house associated with the Theta Chi fraternity just north of the University of Kentucky campus. According to UKNow, Lexington police responded to the 200 block of University Avenue around 11:52 p.m. on September 7 after reports of shots fired, and a single gunshot was fired downstairs during a fight after uninvited subjects came to the party. One female student was shot in the leg and ten others were treated at UK Chandler Hospital for shrapnel and other non-life-threatening injuries. WSAZ reported the arrest of Jason Almanza-Arroyo, who Fox 56 later reported was sentenced to nine years in prison after a plea deal. The case illustrates the Clery challenge of off-campus Greek-affiliated housing: the gunfire was blocks from the academic core, yet it sent a UK Alert to the entire community within minutes.
Analysis

Key Findings

UK Alert sent a text within roughly ten minutes of the first 911 call for an off-campus party shooting, a fast Clery emergency notification
Eleven students were injured — one by gunfire, ten by shrapnel and the resulting panic — all non-life-threatening
The shooter, Jason Almanza-Arroyo, was not affiliated with UK and was later sentenced to nine years in prison
Off-campus fraternity-associated housing complicates Clery geography, but UK treated the incident as an emergency notification rather than a discretionary advisory
Outcome
Jason Almanza-Arroyo, 21 at the time of charging, was arrested and later accepted a plea deal, receiving a nine-year prison sentence. UK police said uninvited subjects came to the party and an altercation ensued before a single shot was fired in the basement.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Official
    Shot fired at house party near UK campus; 1 student shot, several others injured by shrapnel - UKNow
    uknow.uky.edu
  2. Student Paper
    Shooting at off-campus house party injures 11 UK students - Kentucky Kernel
    kykernel.com
  3. News
    An arrest after 1 shot, 10 injured after shooting on UK campus - WSAZ
    wsaz.com
  4. News
    Lexington KY man Jason Almanza-Arroyo sentenced in 2022 University of Kentucky fraternity party shooting - Fox 56
    fox56news.com
Tags
shootingfraternitygreek-lifetheta-chioff-campuskentuckyemergency-notificationparty
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion