A woman was robbed at gunpoint by two men in the 200 block of east John Street about 9:35 p.m. Thursday night.

Champaign and University police have issued an advisory to the entire University community via mass mail and are still investigating the report.

The woman was walking east on John when …A woman was robbed at gunpoint by two men in the 200 block of east John Street about 9:35 p.m. Thursday night.

Champaign and University police have issued an advisory to the entire University community via mass mail and are still investigating the report.

The woman was walking east on John when she was approached by two male suspects. As she approached one suspect, he waved his hand as if motioning to someone, and the other suspect ran out from behind a large bush. He showed a black semi-automatic handgun and ordered the woman to stop. The other suspect grabbed her arm as the man holding the gun threatened the victim and took her purse.

The suspect holding the gun reportedly fired one or two shots toward the victim, but she was not injured during the robbery.

The men ran south across John Street into the east parking lot of Beckwith Hall, 201 E. John St.

The victim described the suspects as black men in their late teens to early 20s. Both wore blue jeans and do-rags on their heads. She estimated their heights to be about 5 feet 10 inches.

The University police department decided to send out a mass mail to inform campus of the incident, increase alertness and encourage anyone with information to send it in, said assistant campus police chief Jeff Christensen.

Christensen said additional patrols will be working with Champaign police to try and locate the offenders and to prevent similar crimes from taking place.

He said members of the campus community should heed the safety information sent out in the mailing.

“Be alert, call in suspicious activity. We all need to watch out for each other,” he said. “If you’ve got friends, walk with them.”

Rachel Small contributed to this report.