Campus Alert Archive
UND

A 2:17 A.M. Alert, a Camo Vest, and a Pellet Gun: UND's Frat-Row Scare

NDarmed personemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

At approximately 1:30 a.m. on Sunday, October 29, 2023, a man allegedly pointed a gun at several members of the Alpha Tau Omega (ATO) fraternity near the University of North Dakota campus in Grand Forks before fleeing on foot. UND Police issued a campus alert at 2:17 a.m. describing the suspect and asking for tips. UND police later said the weapon was likely a pellet pistol, and the episode prompted the university to review its campus communication system.

Alerts
2
Response
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Killed
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Injured
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Institution
University of North Dakota
Public R1 · ND
UND Alerts
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 reconstruction203 chars
UND Alert: A male subject pointed a gun at members at ATO, 3000 University Ave. Black male, red/purple sweatshirt, black pants, camo vest. Last seen on foot toward Newman Center. Call UNDPD 701-777-3491.

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

The alert went out at 2:17 a.m. CDT on October 29, 2023, roughly 47 minutes after the reported 1:30 a.m. confrontation at the ATO fraternity at 3000 University Ave.
The suspect description and the 'last seen heading toward the Newman Center' detail are drawn directly from news accounts paraphrasing the official text; exact wording could not be verified, so this is marked unconfirmed.
UND police initially treated it as a firearm incident; the later determination that the weapon was likely a pellet pistol is the kind of correction this archive tracks against the initial alert framing.
UPDATEEmail
Approximate reconstruction241 chars
Update: Following further investigation, UND Police believe the weapon involved in the early morning incident at ATO was likely a pellet pistol. The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information should contact UND Police at 701-777-3491.

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

A follow-up note sent to the UND community Sunday evening, October 29, 2023, downgraded the threat from a firearm to a likely pellet pistol.
This message is an update, not an all-clear: it did not lift any restriction or declare the suspect located, only revised the weapon assessment.
The exact time of this evening message was not published, so timestampApprox is used rather than an invented precise time.
Context

Background

The October 29, 2023 incident unfolded on University Avenue near the University of North Dakota's Greek housing in Grand Forks. According to KFGO, UND Police issued the alert at 2:17 a.m. CDT after a man pointed what was reported as a gun at several Alpha Tau Omega members around 1:30 a.m. and fled toward the Newman Center. KVRR and Valley News Live carried the suspect description and the public appeal for information. By Sunday evening UND police had revised the assessment, saying the weapon was likely a pellet pistol. The roughly 47-minute gap between the reported confrontation and the alert, plus questions about how widely the 2 a.m. message reached students, prompted UND to announce a review of its campus communication system.
Analysis

Key Findings

UND Police sent the emergency notification at 2:17 a.m. CDT on October 29, 2023, about 47 minutes after the reported 1:30 a.m. confrontation
The initial alert framed the threat as a firearm; UND police later concluded the weapon was likely a pellet pistol
The overnight timing and limited reach of the alert prompted UND to review its emergency communication system
No injuries resulted from the confrontation at the ATO fraternity on University Avenue
Outcome
No injuries were reported. UND police determined the brandished weapon was likely a pellet pistol rather than a firearm. The incident led UND to review the timing and reach of its emergency communications.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    UND campus police report early morning firearm incident - KFGO
    kfgo.com
  2. News
    UND Police investigating firearm incident at ATO Fraternity - KVRR
    kvrr.com
  3. News
    Weapon brandished early Sunday near UND likely was pellet gun, UND police say - InForum
    inforum.com
  4. News
    UND to review campus communication system after gun incident - Grand Forks Herald
    grandforksherald.com
  5. News
    University police issue statement regarding UND firearm incident - Valley News Live
    valleynewslive.com
Tags
weaponsemergency-notificationnorth-dakotafraternitypellet-gunovernight-alertcommunication-review
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion