At least three killed in Michigan university shooting
DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY,
Gunman opened fire in an academic building and student union on Monday night, police say.
A gunman has fatally shot three people at Michigan State University in the United States and wounded five others before killing himself.
The attacker opened fire on Monday night at an academic building – Berkey Hall – and a nearby student union at the East Lansing campus.
Police added that the gunman, described as a Black man, fatally shot himself off-campus after fleeing. His motive was not immediately clear.
“There are three confirmed fatalities. This is in addition to the five victims who have been transported to the hospital,” campus police said on Twitter.
Students were ordered to shelter in place for hours at the campus, which serves about 50,000 students and is located 145km (90 miles) northwest of Detroit.
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. pic.twitter.com/9blppnX5U3
— MSU Police and Public Safety (@msupolice) February 14, 2023
“I can only imagine the emotion that’s involved right now … we are doing everything we can to ensure the safety of our campus and all of our students,” said Chris Rozman, interim deputy chief of the campus police department.
The conditions of the wounded were not immediately known and it was not clear what kind of firearm the gunman used in the attack.
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 Monday night that all classes and school activities would be canceled 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 victms.
The recent high-profile attack saw a gunman fatally shoot 11 people during a Lunar New Year party in Monterey Park, California.
Schools, places of worship and work are common targets.
MSU police said Monday night that all classes and school activities would be canceled for 48 hours
In 2022, a gunman opened fire at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, killing 19 children and two teachers.
In 2018, an attacker fatally shot 17 at a high school in Parkland, Florida. In 2012, a gunman killed 20 elementary school children and six adults in Newtown, Connecticut.
The state of Michigan has also seen recent gun violence at educational facilities, with four students killed when their classmate opened fire at Oxford High School in Oakland County in November 2021.
In 2022, US President Joe Biden signed into law the first federal gun control legislation in decades. However, advocates said the bill fell far short of several long-sought reforms, including higher age restrictions for gun purchases and a federal ban on assault weapons.
Responding to the most recent incident, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer called mass shootings “a uniquely American problem”.
“Too many of us scan rooms for exits when we enter them. We plan who that last text or call would go to,” she tweeted. “We should not, we cannot, accept living like this.”
