Revamped alert system keeps CU Boulder students informed of threats on and near campus

On the University of Colorado Boulder campus, students' phones were buzzing with emergency text messages on Monday night. Five alerts were sent about a shooting in downtown Boulder. 

Christine Mahoney of the University of Colorado Police Department said, "We notified our community about this because the suspect was fleeing in a direction towards campus."

According to Boulder Police Department tweets, law enforcement officers responded to the shooting at the intersection with 13th Street and Canyon Boulevard.

During the search for the suspect, CU Boulder Alerts sent notifications ordering CU family housing residents to stay inside. This was for the area of 17th Street and Athens Street as well as the Boulder Creek path near Folsom Street and Newton Court, where it was possible a suspect could be active. 

Police were working with Boulder County Sheriff's Office to find the suspect, described as a white man in his 20s, wearing a heavy winter jacket with long brown hair.

These alerts were spurred by an event last fall when a man with a gun opened fire in the University Hill area. Although it was not on campus, but very close to it, and students were not immediately notified. 

At the time, one student said the system needed to be improved, "I am really happy that we did raise concerns because it's scary and important "

Since then, the CU Police Department has revamped the system to notify students. There are three categories: emergency alerts, safety alerts and advisories. The recent false threat at Boulder High School touched off an emergency phone text alert.  

Mahoney explained, "As soon as we are notified by Boulder police, or as soon as we become aware, we share that information faster."

There have been four incidents, each triggering multiple alerts since the revamped system began.

Students give it mixed reviews. 

"I think it's annoying because I've been getting so many on my on my phone," said one male student. 

A friend of his added, "I'm glad that they are letting us know. I think they're pretty timely as far as I know so it's good need-to-know information."

Boulder police say the suspect in the downtown shooting remained at large as of mid-afternoon Tuesday. The victim was taken by police to the hospital after a gunshot in the leg.