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. Michigan State University has suspended all campus activities, classes and operations for the next 48 hours, or until further notice, following a Monday night shooting on campus that left three people dead and five hospitalized.
MSU Police and Public Safety reported that shots were fired on campus near Berkey Hall at 8:18 p.m. Monday, with a second reported shooting at the MSU Union soon after.
MSU Interim President Teresa Woodruff said the campus will be in mourning for the lives lost and the trauma inflicted on the community.
“Our campus grieves, we will all grieve," Woodruff said. "And we will change over time, we cannot allow this to continue to happen again.”
Interim Deputy Chief Chris Rozman confirmed at a press conference that at least five victims have been hospitalized at Sparrow Hospital following the shooting. Rozman said they believe the suspect fled the scene following the shooting at the MSU Union.
Law enforcement officials said the shooter died in Lansing from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Rozman said the individual was a 43-year-old male who appeared to have no affiliation with the university.
An alert was sent out to students and community members Monday night asking them to secure-in-place immediately and to run, hide, or fight. East Lansing Police sent out an alert asking community members on and off campus to shelter-in-place as well.
Campus officials lifted the shelter-in-place Tuesday after reporting the shooter's death.
“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," Rozman said.
Rozman said it was imperative that community members, including parents of students, remain off campus.
"I can only imagine the emotion that's involved right now," he said prior to the suspect's death. "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."
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer posted on Twitter that she's been briefed on the shooting and that local law enforcement and first responders are on-site.
Multiple Greater Lansing school districts announced they would be closed on Tuesday, Feb. 14, due to the shooting.
Campus police say an investigation is underway to uncover more information about the incident. Details yet to be confirmed include the type of firearm that the shooter used.
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