In wake of the search for the suspects in a shooting that left a 15-year-old dead, Syracuse University released the following statement:

Earlier this evening, a crime occurred in the City of Syracuse, nearly two miles from the Syracuse University campus. The suspects of this crime were seen near Oakwood Cemetery, prompting the University to take a number of steps to ensure the safety of faculty, staff, students, and visitors.

At approximately 8:30 p.m., the University’s Department of Public Safety (DPS) issued an Orange Alert, asking anyone on and around campus to remain indoors to allow Syracuse Police to search and ultimately clear the area.

At roughly 10:30 p.m., Syracuse Police cleared the area, at which point DPS issued a new alert informing the campus community to resume normal activity.

Though this incident did not happen on campus and did not involve anyone from the University, we took an abundance of caution this evening as the safety and well-being of all members of our campus community remains our top priority.

As always, we urge you to remain vigilant and always report suspicious activity.

I want to thank all of you for your diligence, patience, and understanding tonight. I also want to take this opportunity to thank my DPS colleagues and our counterparts at Syracuse City Police for keeping our campus safe.

Recognizing that the events of this evening were stressful and emotional, counseling services will be provided. Contact the 24-hour counseling services hotline at 315.443.4715 and press “0” after the prompt to speak with a therapist.

Published on October 15, 2015 at 12:03 am

Contact Justin: jmatting@syr.edu | @jmattingly306