A shooting near the University of Notre Dame campus on Saturday evening, September 19, 2026, prompted a campus-wide emergency alert and a temporary shelter-in-place order while a football game was underway against Michigan State University, according to Cincinnati.com. The incident occurred just after 7:30 p.m. near Eddy Street Commons, an urban retail and dining development directly adjacent to the southern boundary of the campus, as reported by WNDU.
Emergency Response and Campus Lockdown During Football Game
The ND Alert notification system informed students and fans via text message that a shot had been fired following a fight near Eddy Street and Angela Boulevard, which broke out after tailgating activities at the university were shut down and crowds moved toward the area, as detailed by Daily Mail and WNDU. University officials instructed people inside Notre Dame Stadium to remain inside, while others elsewhere on campus were directed to shelter in place as law enforcement officers flooded the area, according to Yahoo.
Injuries and Police Investigation Details
According to police statements cited by WNDU, two people were struck by gunfire during the incident: a woman and a police officer. Both victims were transported to a hospital and are expected to recover. Investigators stated that the officer was hit by either shrapnel or a ricochet. A third person sustained injuries during the physical altercation that preceded the gunshot, but was not wounded by gunfire.
Police and emergency personnel cleared parking garages, businesses, and people out of Eddy Street Commons, establishing the commercial district as an active crime scene, according to WNDU. The South Bend Police Department also utilized social media to advise the public to avoid the surrounding area, as reported by Cincinnati.com.
Suspect Description and Ongoing Search
Authorities described the fleeing suspect as a heavy-set Black male with dreadlocks, wearing blue shorts, one white shoe, and a black shirt featuring a red and blue design on the front, based on details provided by WNDU and emergency text alerts. Law enforcement tracking indicated that the suspect ran from the scene in a westerly direction and fled the immediate campus area, prompting an active manhunt along the southern edge of the university grounds, according to Daily Mail and WNDU.
At 8:22 p.m., roughly half an hour after the initial emergency notifications, the ND Alert system issued an update stating that there had been no further incidents of violence and that subsequent investigations indicated the suspect had left the campus area, allowing the temporary shelter-in-place order to be lifted, as reported by Daily Mail and WNDU. Notre Dame officials confirmed that there was no continued threat to the campus, though the Eddy Street Commons area remained closed for ongoing investigations.
Impact on the Notre Dame vs. Michigan State Football Game
The security incident took place during the 80th playing of the historic college football rivalry between Notre Dame and Michigan State, which marked the first time the two programs faced each other in nine years, according to Daily Mail. Tens of thousands of fans were gathered inside Notre Dame Stadium for the matchup.
Despite the chaos and security lockdown outside the venue, the reported shooting did not affect the game itself, which continued uninterrupted with the third-ranked Fighting Irish holding a 17-10 lead over the Spartans at halftime, as noted by Daily Mail.