Michigan: At least three people were killed and five injured on Monday (Local Time) in a shooting at a Michigan State University campus before the gunman shot himself.
Taking to Twitter, MSU police and public safety said, “There are 3 confirmed fatalities. This is in addition to the 5 victims who have been transported to the hospital.”
Addressing the presser, Interim Deputy Police Chief Chris Rozman said some of the victims sustained “life-threatening injuries”.
Police initially received the calls at 8.18 pm regarding the shootout at the Berkey Hall on campus, Rozman said. Numerous officers responded and located several victims, according to CNN.
Police then received reports of a shooting at a nearby building, the university union building, the interim deputy police chief said, adding that the police acted quickly and tended to the victims at both scenes.
“The information we’re sharing right now is preliminary. The priority right now is the safety of our students and campus,” Rozman said.
The suspect, believed to be a short man, was last seen leaving the MSU union building on the north side of the building.
Rozman cautioned that there was a lot of misinformation — via social media and other means — about the incident and advised people to follow the police department’s official Twitter account for accurate information, as per the report in CNN.
Later on, the Michigan State University police released the first images of the suspected gunman.
The suspect, believed to be a short man wearing red shoes and a jean jacket, was last seen leaving the MSU union building on the north side of the building immediately after the shooting.
Taking to Twitter, MSU police and public safety said, “SUSPECT PHOTOS: The suspect is a Black male, shorter in stature, red shoes, jean jacket, wearing a baseball cap that is navy with a lighter brim.”
Giving details about the incident, Gabe Treutel, a freshman at Michigan State University, said that he and his roommates are hunkered down and are listening to police scanners as the shooting incident on campus continues, reported CNN.
Treutel said he was just sitting at his desk in his West Acres dorm room, taking a quiz for his chemistry lab when he received an email alert from the university warning him of shots being fired on campus.
(With agency inputs)