Shooting kills 3 in Michigan; assailant dead

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A gunman opened fire Monday night at Michigan State University, killing three and injuring five before shooting himself off campus amid a chase that left students frightened hiding in the dark for several hours. .

Police reported the suspect dead early Tuesday, four hours after the first shots were fired at Berkey Hall, a college building, and later nearby at MSU Union, a popular place to eat or study.

“Tonight we are living a real nightmare,” said Chris Rozman, acting deputy chief of campus police.

Hundreds of officers had raided the East Lansing campus, about 145 kilometers northeast of Detroit, looking for the suspect, whom police described as a short black man wearing red shoes, a denim jacket and a baseball cap.

According to Rozman, it was too early to know why and if the man had a connection to the university. His name was not immediately made public.

Two people died at Berkey and the third at MSU Union, he said.

Sparrow Hospital spokesman John Foren did not provide information on the condition of the five injured who were transferred there.

At 10:15 p.m., police said Berkey, along with nearby residences, were safe.

Before the shooter was found dead, Kim Adams, a meteorologist for WDIV-TV with a daughter in college, told viewers the students were exhausted from hours of angst.

“They hid with all the lights off in a dark room,” Adams said. “Their cell phones are starting to run out of battery. Not everyone has chargers and losing touch with the outside world is terrifying on a normal day for a student, especially when there’s someone who doesn’t have got caught again.”

Aedan Kelley, a student who lives less than a kilometer (miles) from campus, said he had locked doors and covered windows “just in case”. The sound of sirens was constant, he added, and a helicopter hovered overhead.

“It’s very scary,” Kelley said. “And then I have all these people texting me asking if I’m okay, which is overwhelming.”

Michigan State University has approximately 50,000 students. All campus activities are canceled for the next 48 hours, including sports and school activities.

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Kusmer reported from Indianapolis.