Johns Hopkins UniversityEst. 1876
America’s First Research University
Note: this post originally appeared as an email sent to Hopkins students on December 14, 2025.
Dear Students,
Over the past 24 hours, we have heard from many members of our community about the tragic shooting that took place on Saturday at Brown University. Like you, we are so deeply saddened by such a horrific act of violence on another university campus, and for the entire Brown community, the victims, and their friends and loved ones.
While we want to assure you that there is no indication of an elevated threat to the Hopkins community, we wanted to reach out to you to share the ways we are working to provide a safe campus environment and to remind you of the resources and support that are available.
On Saturday evening as a precaution, we increased the presence of the Department of Public Safety, including Johns Hopkins Police Officers and Security Officers on our campuses. This elevated security level will remain in place through the end of the exam period later this month. It will also include increased protection of campus and community events as well as more frequent walk-throughs and visual inspections of study spaces. If there is ever cause for heightened alert, we will notify the community immediately via our Rave alert system. Please ensure you have opted-in to Rave alerts for all relevant campuses here.
As you know, since December 5th all buildings on the Homewood campus have been restricted to J-Card access only for Reading Days and Exam Days and access to all other Hopkins facilities is also restricted. Even though there is no specific cause for concern at this time, we ask all members of our community to continue to follow best practices for safety and to not permit anyone without proper authorization to enter a Hopkins building. Please be alert for “tailgating,” and remember that propped doors are not permitted; open doors will be closed and secured.
Finally, we know that the end of the semester is already a stressful time, making it even more important that we all find opportunities to come together to support one another, ask for help when we need it, and look out for our friends, classmates, and neighbors. Student Affairs staff are here to support students and will be visible and available. We are hosting several study break activities in the Bloomberg Student Center and other locations up until winter break to ensure students can connect with each other and our community. In addition, our residence hall staff will continue to be accessible on-site and holding study break gatherings in the residence halls and other alternate study locations throughout the week.
Your safety is our highest priority, and we will reach out with further updates should there be more information to share. We also encourage you to take advantage of the safety and support resources listed below.
Sincerely,
Branville Bard Jr.
Vice President for Public Safety
Rachelle Hernandez
Vice Provost for Student Affairs
Kevin Shollenberger
Vice Provost for Student Health & Well-Being
Community Support and Well-Being Resources
Public Safety Resources