Shooting leaves 3 dead, 5 injured at University of Michigan

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A gunman opened fire Monday night at Michigan State University, killing three people and injuring five, and police have told frightened students and others to stay away.

Hundreds of officers were combing through the East Lansing campus, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) northeast of Detroit, looking for the suspect, who police described as a short black man wearing shoes red, a denim jacket and a baseball cap.

“There are three confirmed deaths. This is in addition to the five victims who have been taken to hospital,” campus police said on Twitter.

The shooting began shortly before 8:30 p.m. at Berkey Hall, a university building, and also occurred near a student union, a popular gathering spot, said Chris Rozman, acting deputy director of campus police.

The students were ordered to stay where they were for the next few hours. Rozman urged parents not to attend the scene.

“I can only imagine the turmoil going on right now…We are doing everything we can to keep our campus and all of our students safe,” Rozman said.

The five injured were taken to Sparrow Hospital, said center spokesman John Foren, who did not provide information on their condition.

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

In contrast, police reported on Twitter of a shooting at IM East, a student recreation center. But Rozman did not speak about it during a press conference, noting that there had been false reports of other shootings.

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.