The gunman who opened fire on a Michigan college campus, killing at least three students, shot himself. Five other people were injured in the incident and are in “critical condition,” a press conference said on Tuesday. The motive is unclear. “We know this is a uniquely American problem,” said state governor Gretchen Whitmer.
The incident happened Monday night at Michigan State University in East Lansing. According to the police, the alleged perpetrator is a 43-year-old man who, according to the initial findings, is not affiliated with the university. He was found dead with a “self-inflicted gunshot wound” outside the college campus. Police believe he acted alone. There is no longer any danger to the public.
The first emergency calls came in to the police on Monday evening at 8:18 p.m. A gunman opened fire in a hall of the University of Michigan East Lansing – about 125 kilometers northwest of Detroit – and killed two people. Another corpse was found about 400 meters away in the sorority rooms. Both buildings were open to the public.
Warning message: “Run, hide, fight”
“Behind every victim is a family,” says college police officer Chris Rozman. Due to the size of the campus, which spans more than 9 square miles according to the university’s website, the police operation was a “monumental task.” Hundreds of security forces were deployed and several buildings were evacuated, police said. “Run, hide, fight,” the university said in an initial warning to students and staff. If possible, one should move away from the danger, otherwise entrench. If both are not possible, one must defend oneself. More than 50,000 people study there, according to the university’s website.
On Tuesday, another massacre was celebrated at an educational institution in the United States. On February 14, 2018, a then 19-year-old shot 14 teens and three adults and wounded others at a school in Parkland, Florida, with a legally purchased semi-automatic rifle. After the crime, surviving students had begun protests against gun violence and for stricter gun laws in the US, which became a nationwide movement.
Governor: ‘Our children are afraid’
Governor Whitmer commemorated the Parkland massacre on Tuesday. “Our children are afraid to go to school. People feel unsafe in their places of worship or shops. Too many of us search rooms for exits when we enter them,” she said. “We can’t go on living like this.” This year, several bloody crimes have already taken place in the United States in which gunmen have opened fire on people. In the US state of California alone, 18 people were killed in two violent crimes within days in January.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
