Campus Alert Archive
U-M

Misheard Apartment Fight Triggers Full U-M Emergency Alert; Division Street Closed, Investigation Finds No Gunfire

MIpolice activityemergency notificationhigh confidence
UnfoundedNo evidence of an actual threat was found. The institutional response is documented because the alert communication is identical to what would occur during a real incident.

On the evening of October 23, 2025, multiple people called 911 after hearing what they believed were gunshots during a fight inside an apartment near the 500 block of Division Street in Ann Arbor. The University of Michigan's Division of Public Safety and Security issued an emergency alert and closed Division Street while officers investigated. A subsequent investigation found no evidence that a firearm had been discharged and the incident was canceled as a false alarm.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
0
Institution
University of Michigan
Public R1 · MI
U-M Emergency 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 reconstruction193 chars
U-M Emergency Alert: Shots fired reported near 500 block of Division Street. Avoid the area. Division Street closed between Jefferson and Packard. Police responding. More information to follow.

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

Reconstructed, not verbatim: The Michigan Daily and U-M DPSS confirm that multiple 911 calls were received about possible shots fired in an apartment near the 500 block of Division Street on October 23, 2025.
Division Street was temporarily closed between Jefferson and Packard Streets while officers investigated the report.
ALL CLEARSMS
Approximate reconstruction165 chars
U-M Emergency Alert: ALL CLEAR. No evidence of shots fired near Division Street. Investigation complete. No active threat to community. Division Street has reopened.

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

Reconstructed all-clear; the U-M DPSS website posted this alert with the heading 'U-M Emergency Alert - Shots Fired [CANCELED]' and Ann Arbor police stated there was 'no evidence that a firearm had been discharged' and 'no active threat to the community.'
The incident began when people heard a physical altercation inside an apartment and mistook sounds from the fight for gunshots, a common source of false campus emergency notifications in dense residential neighborhoods.
Context

Background

On the evening of October 23, 2025, multiple people called 911 after hearing sounds they believed to be gunshots coming from an apartment near the 500 block of Division Street in Ann Arbor, a residential street adjacent to the University of Michigan campus. The U-M Division of Public Safety and Security issued an emergency alert and Division Street was closed between Jefferson and Packard Streets while officers from U-M and Ann Arbor police investigated. Officers responding found that a physical altercation had taken place inside an apartment, but no evidence that a firearm had been discharged was found. Ann Arbor police subsequently stated there was no active threat to the community and the area was cleared. The DPSS website later categorized the alert as canceled. The incident illustrates a well-documented pattern in which loud arguments near campus residential areas generate multiple 911 calls and trigger campus-wide emergency notifications before officers can confirm whether gunfire actually occurred.
Outcome
Division Street was temporarily closed between Jefferson and Packard Streets during the investigation. Officers responding found that an apartment fight had occurred but no gunfire had taken place. The emergency alert was canceled and the area returned to normal.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Student Paper
    DPSS announces all clear after reports of shots fired on Division Street - The Michigan Daily
    michigandaily.com
  2. Official
    U-M Emergency Alert - Shots Fired [CANCELED] - Division of Public Safety and Security
    dpss.umich.edu
  3. News
    Ann Arbor police: No threat to community, no evidence of shots fired near University of Michigan - FOX 2 Detroit
    fox2detroit.com
Tags
false-alarmunfoundedshots-firedmichiganann-arborurban-campusemergency-notificationcanceledUnfounded
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion