On the night of Wednesday, Monmouth University, located in West Long Branch, issued an alert to its students advising them to take shelter in place and wait for additional instructions. The reason behind the warning was a possible armed individual on the university campus. 

The university website posted the message as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of its students, faculty, and staff. The alert urged everyone to stay indoors until they receive further instructions regarding the situation.

“Due to possible armed subject at Monmouth University you are advised to shelter in place and await further instructions,” the University alert read.

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“According to several students and police scanner audio, reportedly at least three shots were fired on Monmouth University campus, shortly after 10 pm. No reports of any injuries at this time; shelter-in-place order remains in effect,” a Tweet posted at 11:37 pm on March 22, 2023 read.

“Monmouth University police report they are currently “searching and securing” the campus. They want students to continue to comply with the shelter in place order,” an individual posted on Twitter at 11:35 pm. 

According to Forbes, on Sunday, four separate shootings in different states in the US brought the number of mass shootings to 102 so far this year, with a total of 149 dead and almost 400 injured. This marks the earliest point in at least a decade that mass shootings have reached triple digits. The three deadliest shootings occurred in January, with one leaving 12 dead and another in which a suspected gunman killed 7 people at two locations. Last year at this time, there were 69 mass shootings resulting in 89 deaths, while in 2021 there were 75 mass shootings and 78 deaths.

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The Gun Violence Archive defines a mass shooting as an incident that killed or injured at least four people, not including the shooter. The recent shootings have occurred in different states, including Florida, Maryland, Louisiana, and Illinois, with suspects in custody for some. The US continues to grapple with gun violence and mass shootings.