[Update at 11:55 a.m.]: Seattle Fire Department officials have investigated and cleared the hazardous materials response at the Molecular Engineering & Sciences Building. An alarm was triggered due to an issue with the ventilation system in the building. There was no leak or release of hazardous materials. Anyone who is authorized to work in the building is allowed to re-enter.

[Update at 11:28 a.m.]: The Seattle Fire Department is responding to a possible hazardous materials incident inside the Molecular Engineering & Sciences Building near Grant Lane and Stevens Way. Please avoid the area until further notice. More updates will be provided here as they become available.

[ORIGINAL POST: 11:22 a.m.]: SFD responding to possible HazMat incident @ Molecular Eng & Sciences Bldg. Avoid area. Updates: alert.uw.edu

Sent at 11:22 a.m. Mon

[UPDATED at 4:26 p.m.]: Seattle police investigated a reported shooting inside a business near NE 47th St. & Roosevelt Ave. NE. They determined the shooting appeared to have been accidental and there is no suspect outstanding.

[ORIGINAL POST at 4:08 p.m. Sunday]: Report of shooting inside business near NE 47th St & Roosevelt Ave. NE. SPD on scene. Avoid area. More info: alert.uw.edu

Sent at 4:08pm Sun

[UPDATE 11:25 a.m.] Suspect: Male, 5′ 10″ wearing dark jacket, dark sunglasses, bandana, carrying a brown or orange-colored bag. Last known direction of travel was east of the bank.

No injuries have been reported.

A large police presence is in the area. Seattle Police are continuing to investigate.

Further updates will be provided as they become available.

[ORIGINAL POST 10:53 a.m.] There was a bank robbery at U Way NE and NE 47th St. Report of a shot fired. There is a large police presence. Avoid the area.

More information will be provided when available.

We have heard concerns and criticism from many members of the UW community and beyond about the UW Advisory and UW Alert messages that went out Monday ahead of and during some demonstrations near University Village. Bottom line: We hear you and we will take this feedback seriously moving forward.

The notification system is designed to provide information to the UW community about disruptions or emergencies that could threaten their safety. (Learn more about the notification system here). The first advisory was sent as a precaution about a protest that police had reason to believe was intended to incite violence, property damage and theft, and not as a peaceful demonstration intended to call attention to the very real and serious issue of systemic racism. In hindsight, it is clear that the initial note to avoid the area could be read as a directive to not attend a protest. That was not its intention but in retrospect, we should have been clearer and will aim to in the future.

Regarding the second message, the Safeway store near University Village was broken into and was being looted by several people. As part of this incident, an individual who we learned later is a UW student was assaulted by multiple people trying to force their way into the store. All of this occurred within a span of about 15 minutes and the decision was made to send a UW Alert message to advise the UW community about a potentially dangerous situation, especially considering the location which has student housing around it in multiple directions.

A nearby traffic camera that was pointed toward Safeway showed a peaceful group of protestors sitting in the Safeway parking lot, and some helicopter footage showed University Village itself was heavily guarded and clear of anyone except for police patrolling the area. UW police contacts on the ground reported the activity at Safeway, and confirmed that the broken windows and looting was out of view of these cameras. We made the decision to send the message based on the information available at the time and did not intend to imply that the full group was involved in any such activity.

Finally, every time the Crisis Communications Team is convened, we conduct an after-action review to assess, analyze and learn from every decision we make and every message we send. We understand that words matter, and we will take this feedback and consider it when making future decisions.

[UPDATE at 5:35 p.m.] A large police presence remains near University Village. Please continue to avoid the area. A reminder that the citywide curfew begins at 6 p.m.

[UPDATE at 5:03 p.m.] Police are on site and handling the disturbance. Please continue to avoid the area.

Police report that one person was injured and taken to the hospital. No arrests have been made.

[UPDATE at 4:38 p.m.] A large group has formed around University Village and people are smashing store windows and looting businesses. Traffic closures are in place near NE 45th St. and 25th Ave. NE. Please avoid the area and find alternative routes.

[UPDATE at 2:34 p.m.] The following UW Housing & Food Services service modifications are in effect:

Nordheim Court desk was closed at 2 PM

Local Point, Center Table, The Nook, and District Market dining venues will close at 6 PM.

[UPDATE at 2:30 p.m.] Please avoid roadways around campus, to the extent possible, to allow emergency vehicles to access the area if needed.

[UPDATE at 2:25 p.m.] Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan has announced a citywide curfew of 6 p.m. Monday through 5 a.m. Tuesday.

[ORIGINAL POST at 2:10 p.m.] Police are monitoring a potential protest at University Village this afternoon. Members of the UW community who are on or around campus are advised to avoid the U Village area. Businesses there are closing early. More information will be provided here as it becomes available.

As a reminder, the City of Seattle has imposed a curfew for Sunday night, beginning at 5 p.m. and remaining in place until 5 a.m. Monday. Residents are asked to stay home and not to travel in and through downtown.

The curfew comes after some demonstrations Saturday in downtown Seattle turned violent and fires were intentionally set, according to Mayor Jenny Durkan’s announcement, and it is intended “to preserve the safety of our residents by keeping our streets safe and accessible for essential workers and first responders and preventing the further spread of COVID-19.”

The curfew is intended to be observed voluntarily and will not be enforced “except for violations that result in public health and safety threats,” the mayor’s announcement states. More details on the curfew can be found on the City of Seattle’s website here.

[UPDATE at 5:53 p.m.] Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan has issued a news release announcing the curfew. Here are the primary points:

Mayor Jenny A. Durkan, Police Chief Carmen Best, and Fire Chief Harold Scoggins announced an 5:00 p.m. curfew effective today, May 30 and tomorrow, May 31. Mayor Durkan will soon be signing an emergency order. The curfew will be in effect from 5:00 pm – 5:00 am, and during those hours residents and visitors should remain in their residence to the extent possible and should refrain from traveling in and through Seattle. The curfew is intended to prevent violence and widespread property damage, and to prevent the further community spread of COVID-19 through continued gathering.

Read the full release and further details here.

[UPDATE at 5:45 p.m.] On the UW campus, District Market and Local Point will be closing soon as a result of the citywide curfew.

[ORIGINAL POST at 5:30 p.m.] The City of Seattle has imposed an immediate 5 p.m. curfew due to fires and an extremely dangerous situation downtown. Residents are asked to stay home, stay safe. More updates will be provided here as they become available.

Sent at 5:28:37 PM Sat

UPDATE at 10:49 p.m.: Seattle police have not yet located the suspect and will continue investigating. Any further update will be provided here as it becomes available.

ORIGINAL POST: Seattle police are searching the U-District area for a male suspect in an armed robbery that was reported at a business in the 4200 block of University Way NE. The suspect may have a knife and there is no further description confirmed at this time. Please avoid the area.

When it comes to safety on campus, the UWPD takes a community-based, student-centered approach to teach the importance of safety and security. These become lifelong skills and ultimately assist our campus community members in making safety a priority in their daily lives.

Due to the impact COVID-19 has had on our regular campus routines, UWPD’s approach to crime prevention has been modified in order to best protect our community. With far fewer people on campus due to stay-at-home restrictions, we don’t have as many eyes and ears on campus. Though officers continue to perform their usual duties, it is even more important now to embrace, accept and participate in the concept of “See Something, Say Something.”

Now, more than ever, it is a call to action for all of our community members to be vigilant. For example, call 911 whenever you see unauthorized individuals in closed buildings. Please do not let unauthorized people follow behind you when entering a locked building. Letting that occur may impact your safety and the safety of others, potentially increasing the likelihood of theft from the building. If someone does follow you into a building, report it to a supervisor, building coordinator or the police, and call 911 if you are concerned for your safety.

In addition to unauthorized persons in buildings, UWPD urges you to call 911 immediately if you see any crime in progress. With fewer people on campus it is possible you may be the only person witnessing a crime. Don’t rely on someone else to call 911, please do so yourself and immediately. Here are some additional tips as we continue to work together to provide safety and security for campus during the COVID-19 pandemic:

When walking on campus, pre-plan your route, take pathways that are established and well lit, walk confidently and pay attention to what is going on around you. Walk with a friend but do so observing social distancing guidelines.

If you see a crime in progress, immediately report it by dialing 911. Be prepared to describe what you are observing and offer a description of the individual or car that might be involved.

When necessary, remind friends not to congregate. Respect the guidance given about social distancing.

Keep abreast of pertinent COVID-19 information posts by the UW and the CDC.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, please be mindful that some individuals may be experiencing anxiety, trauma and anguish. If you are concerned about a friend or co-worker, please refer them to their supervisor or UW Human Resources: https://hr.uw.edu/. Please refer students to LiveWell resources: https://depts.washington.edu/livewell/. If this is a crisis or emergency, call 911 immediately for police, fire or medical assistance.

Please disregard a UW Advisory message which was erroneously sent at 8:33 p.m. to the entire UW list. The message was intended only for a small group of researchers and staff at Friday Harbor Labs (FHL).

We apologize for any confusion and are looking into the cause of the error.