In the early hours of Sunday, April 4, one person was injured on College Hill from his own firearm accidentally discharging. UNI students received an alert at 1 a.m. advising them to avoid the area and describing two suspects. Later on, Cedar Falls police officers confirmed the victim had accidentally shot himself.

It is unclear what caused the inconsistency between police announcements and the university’s communication with students. During the night, investigators found several firearms and arrested two people for charges unrelated to the shooting. The last available update stated the only victim was transported to the local hospital and is expected to survive his wounds.

Last week’s incident is one of several gun related incidents that have taken place on College Hill in the past five years. According to UNI’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Reports, a yearly report of crime statistics on campus, five aggravated assaults took place in 2016, two in 2017, three in 2018 and two in 2019. The 2020 data is not yet available.

These incidents do not include crimes that took place off campus, nor is aggravated assault an accurate tool to measure all gun related incidents. According to the UNI report, the definition of aggravated assault is: “an unlawful attack by one person upon another for the purpose of inflicting severe or aggravated bodily injury.” The motive is the reason why this definition does not apply to the April incident, as well as many other recent gun related incidents. Looking at other examples of gun violence in Cedar Falls, what stands out is the vicinity of the events, as most have occurred near the UNI campus. Out of eight incidents verified by the University of Northern Iowa’s Police Department — which took place between January 2017 and April 2021 — all but one happened within several blocks from campus or College Hill.

Aside from the first three incidents of 2017, in which a gunshot was only heard, the rest of the shootings have caused physical harm, either injuring or killing the parties involved. According to a Northern Iowan article at the time, on Nov. 11, 2017, two 18-year-old males from Waterloo were shot on Olive Street, near the bars on College Hill. One of them, Alex Bullerman, ended up dying in the hospital. The second teenager survived.

Several local newspapers, as well as the “Cedar Valley Crime Stoppers” website, reported the incident as being gang related. As in many other cases, the investigation was carried out by the Cedar Falls Police Department, with assistance from the Waterloo officers, the UNI police department and state troopers. Despite the common effort, it appears that perpetrators have not yet been identified.

The most recent deadly shooting took place in downtown Cedar Falls on Dec. 4, 2019, when 24-year-old Grant Saul was found dead in his apartment above Los Cabos Family Restaurant. During the investigation, Cedar Falls Police were able to identify three suspects who were arrested on a warrant for conspiracy to commit a felony.

As of May 2020, it appears that no one has ever personally been charged with Saul’s murder. However, court records identify through witness testimonies the first out of the three men to be arrested, Keyon Christian Roby, as the shooter. The incident was believed to be a fatal robbery, as investigators said the three men walked into the apartment hoping to steal marijuana and other personal belongings of the victim. From court records, it appears that the case has not yet been adjudicated.

Throughout the years, Cedar Valley residents have expressed their concern for the number of gun violence incidents that have taken place in the area, as well as around the country. In 2018, UNI students protested gun violence after a mass shooting took place in a Florida high school that February. Many of them also led a March for Our Lives rally a few weeks later to demand action from policy makers and inspire locals to contact their representatives about gun violence.

At the beginning of this month, however, a change in Iowa Law began allowing for less regulation regarding gun ownership. Governor Reynolds signed a law into effect making permitless gun carrying allowed in the state. While background checks will still be required when buying a gun from a licensed seller, this is not, and will continue not to be, the case for private sellers. Many argue that the new law will make shootings and gun related incidents in the state more common in the next few years.