Updated February 14, 2023 at 2:37 AM ET
A gunman shot and killed three people and injured five others on the campus of Michigan State University Monday night before fatally shooting himself, police said.
Local authorities said the suspect, a 43-year-old man, was found dead off the campus in East Lansing, Mich., from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. They said the man is not associated with the university and a motive has not been determined. Police also said they believe there is only one suspect.
"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," said Chris Rozman, the interim deputy chief of the MSU police.
Shots were initially fired at 8:18 p.m. ET inside Berkey Hall, which is home to the College of Social Science and where two people died. Another shooting was reported shortly afterward at the MSU student union, which is located next door and is a gathering point for students. One person died there, Rozman said. Both Berkey Hall and the student union building are open to the public during business hours, police said.
Hundreds of officers from different agencies responded to the scene, Rosman said. Victims were transported to Sparrow Hospital in Lansing. They were listed in critical condition, but no other information about the victims was available, Rozman said.
By 10:15 p.m. ET, police said Berkey and other buildings, were secured, and the shelter in place warning was lifted early Tuesday morning. Earlier in the evening, police discouraged parents from coming to campus.
"For parents, we understand," Rozman said. "I can only imagine the emotion that's involved right now. It's going to help us, and it's going to help our response, and it's going to help us identify the shooter the less people that are on campus at this point."
All campus activities, including both in-person and virtual classes and sporting events, have been canceled for at least 48 hours. The school is providing counseling resources for students and employees.
Monday's shooting is the latest mass shooting in the U.S. that has claimed dozens of lives so far in 2023, according to the Gun Violence Archive, an independent data collection organization. The group defines a mass shooting as an incident in which four or more people are shot or killed, excluding the shooter. Nearly 650 mass shootings took place in the country in 2022, according to the group.
Teresa Woodruff, MSU's interim president, said early Tuesday that support will be provided for university students, faculty and staff. "We're devastated with the loss of life and we want to wrap our arms around every family touched by this tragedy," she said.
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