Lincoln University campus briefly locked down after gunfire nearby

At least two vehicles were hit by gunfire Wednesday afternoon near the Lincoln University campus in Jefferson City.

LU Police Chief Gary Hill said random gunfire was reported around 11:45 a.m. in the area of Dunklin and Chestnut streets.

"No persons were hit," Hill said. "It was obvious they were shooting at the ground, as the tires were blown out on the cars."

Hill ordered the LU campus to go on a lockdown after the initial reports as a precaution, but the lockdown was canceled after about 20 minutes.

Jefferson City police are handling the investigation. As of Wednesday afternoon, JCPD officials said said they had no suspects or vehicle descriptions.

Unfortunately, Hill said, while not on campus, they have seen more cases of random gunfire occurring near LU.

"(LU) President (Jerald) Woolfolk has been very supportive of our efforts to make the campus a safe place," Hill said. "We're trying to get items such as more cameras in our parking lots to help us when we need to identify suspects in cases. We've also stepped up our patrols."

This article was updated at 3:55 p.m. Sept. 18, 2019, with additional details.