3 killed at Michigan State University, and gunman is dead, police say
By Sophia Lada, Emily Schmall and Remy Tumin
EAST LANSING, Mich. — A gunman killed three people and wounded at least five others on the Michigan State University campus in East Lansing on Monday (13) night, sending students fleeing while he evaded swarms of law enforcement officers before apparently taking his own life off campus, university police said.
The gunman, whose name was not immediately released, was reported dead just after midnight Tuesday (14), about four hours after the first 911 calls were made of shots fired.
Some of the five people who had been wounded have life-threatening injuries, according to Chris Rozman, the university Police Department’s interim deputy police chief. None of the names of the victims were released.
“We are relieved to no longer have an active threat on campus while we realize there is so much healing that will need to take place,” Rozman said. He said it was unclear what the shooter’s connection was to the university or what the motive had been for the attack.
Shots were reported on campus after 8:00 p.m. local time, prompting the university’s Police Department to send an alert urging people on campus to “secure in place immediately.” Hundreds of law enforcement officers sped through the unusually empty streets near campus as students barricaded themselves in dorm rooms.
Rozman said shots were fired inside Berkey Hall, home to the school’s college of arts and sciences. He said a second shooting, “immediately following the first incident,” took place at the MSU student union.
Carson Coleman, 20, a university sophomore studying criminal justice, said he was at work as a cook at a restaurant on the edge of campus when he and others received a blast of emails warning of an active shooter.
“My kitchen manager, she was trying to calm us down,” he said, “but at the same time you could tell she was really freaking out.”
Julian Alonso, a Michigan State University freshman, left his dorm to buy a snack at a nearby 7-Eleven. As he turned back toward his dorm, he saw at least 10 police vehicles.
“I covered the door with my roommate’s bed and I turned off the lights,” Alonso said. “I’m keeping myself hidden in the closet.”
Albert Street near campus, usually busy with bar patrons, was all but silent except for the sounds of sirens and a helicopter in the distance.
In other developments:
— The university’s police said all campus activities had been cancelled for 48 hours, including classes and athletics. “Please DO NOT come to campus tomorrow,” the police said.
— Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan said she had been briefed on the situation. “Let’s wrap our arms around the Spartan community tonight,” she said on Twitter, referring to the university’s mascot. “We will keep everyone updated as we learn more,” she added.
-New York Times
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