A man suspected to have shot three people dead and injured five others at Michigan State University, has died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound on Monday evening, Police said.
The incident unfolded starting at 8:18 p.m. ET at Berkey Hall, where several shooting victims were found. Immediately after, shots were fired nearby at the Michigan State University Union Building, he said.
“Police and emergency responders acted quickly. We tended to the victims at both of those scenes,” Rozman said.
Two of those who died were at Berkey Hall, and the third was at the MSU Union, according to Rozman.
At least five people were taken to a hospital, all of them in critical condition, according to Rozman. Police have not disclosed whether the victims included students.
Hours later, the suspect “was contacted by law enforcement off campus” and “it does appear that that suspect has died from a self inflicted gunshot wound,” Rozman reported.
“This truly has been a nightmare that we are living tonight,” Rozman said. “We are relieved to no longer have an active threat on campus, while we realize that there is so much healing that will need to take place after this,” he added.
“There is no longer a threat to campus,” Interim Deputy Chief Chris Rozman said. “We believe there to only be one shooter in this incident and there is no longer a need to shelter in place on campus.”
The shooting, which spanned two different campus locations, prompted an hourslong shelter-in-place order as hundreds of officers from multiple agencies converged on the campus to search for the gunman.
The suspect, a 43-year-old man, was not affiliated with the university, according to Rozman, who did not name the suspect.
All classes, athletics and campus-related activities at MSU are canceled for 48 hours, campus police said, adding, “Please DO NOT come to campus tomorrow.”
The hourslong ordeal made for a terrifying experience for students as the suspect remained at large and officers in tactical gear swarmed the campus.
Around 10:10 p.m., police tweeted that Berkey Hall and other several campus buildings were cleared, including Brody Hall, Snyder/Phillips Hall, Mason Hall, Abbot Hall, Landon Hall and the MSU Union.
MSU student Chris Trush told CNN he saw people running out of the Union building – a congregation spot for students on campus – shortly before an emergency alert went out to students informing them of the shooting on campus.
Trush said he was watching TV just after 8 p.m. in his apartment when he saw police cars and ambulances speeding down Grand River Avenue. He then saw people running out of the Union building.
“That’s when I knew something’s really up,” he said.
Trush said he saw dozens of officers begin to swarm the area with long rifles, and realized a shooting had taken place.
“I’m obviously not going to go outside for the next couple of days,” he said.
As shelter-in-place orders were in effect earlier in the night, another MSU student, Nithya Charles, told CNN she was sheltering within a lounge area at Campbell Hall on the north side of campus with about 30 other people.
“We’re not learning very much,” Charles told CNN’s Erin Burnett earlier in the night, saying she did not hear any gunshots herself, but said some of her co-workers heard shots.
“Everyone is obviously kind of stressed, but seems to be calm now,” Charles said.
Aedan Kelley, a junior who lives close to the campus, told The Associated Press he locked his doors and covered his windows “just in case”.
Sirens were constant, he said, and a helicopter hovered overhead.
“It’s all very frightening,” Kelley said. “And then I have all these people texting me wondering if I’m OK, which is overwhelming.”
School officials said that all classes and school activities would be cancelled for 48 hours.
Mass shootings have become alarmingly common in the US, with 648 reported in 2022, slightly less than the 690 reported in 2021, according to the Gun Violence Archive tracker.
There have been at least 67 mass shootings in 2023, according to the tracker, which classifies mass shootings as those with four or more victims.
The recent high-profile attack saw a gunman fatally shoot 11 people during a Lunar New Year party in Monterey Park, California.