Man on bicycle opens fire near Harvard University; police launch search for suspect

Harvard University

A brief panic gripped Harvard University on Friday after reports of gunfire near Sherman Street, close to the Radcliffe Quad, led to a temporary shelter-in-place alert for students and staff.

According to a statement on the university’s emergency alert website, “Cambridge Police are reporting that an unidentified male on a bicycle just shot at another person on Sherman Street. The suspect is on a bicycle heading toward Garden Street. Please avoid the area and shelter in place.”

The Harvard University Police Department (HUPD) issued the alert shortly after 11 a.m. local time, urging everyone on campus to stay indoors. Nearly 20 minutes later, a few students and nearby residents were still outside in the Quad before staff at one of the residential houses instructed students to remain inside, witnesses told The Harvard Crimson.

By 11:48 a.m., the Cambridge Police Department said there was “no ongoing public safety risk at this time,” following which Harvard lifted the alert. Officers later recovered ballistic evidence from the scene near Danehy Park but confirmed that no one was injured.

In a statement posted to social media, the Cambridge Police said, “Cambridge Police are currently on-scene of a shots-fired incident that took place on Sherman St. in the vicinity of Danehy Park. Ballistic evidence has been recovered. There are no known victims or ongoing public safety risk at this time.”

Authorities said the suspected shooter was seen riding toward Garden Street, which connects North Cambridge to the Radcliffe Quad and Harvard Square. The search for the suspect remains ongoing.

“Please continue to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the HUPD at 617-495-1212,” the university added in its follow-up advisory.

While the alert has been lifted, police presence around the area remained visible through the afternoon as investigators combed the scene.