Police officers shot and killed a suspected gunman after he opened fire at Florida State University and wounded at least three people early Thursday, The Associated Press reported.
Students and staff were warned about the incident when sirens began going off on the Tallahassee campus and FSU officials issued an emergency alert about a "dangerous situation."
What's going on at #FSU? Hearing lots of sirens heading toward campus and just got this alert email. pic.twitter.com/YXbYnu2LWM
— Adam Weinstein (@AdamWeinstein) November 20, 2014
On the FSU website, students and staff were urged to "seek shelter immediately, away from doors and windows." By 2 a.m., that order had been removed from the site.
At 12:30 a.m., police responded to a call about an active shooter on campus, Tallahassee Police Department spokesman David Northway said. At the time, officers were told that at least one person had already been shot.
When police officers confronted the gunman on the steps of the Strozier Library and ordered him to drop his weapon, the suspect allegedly opened fire, Northway said. The officers then fired back, killing the shooter.
The identity of the gunman has not been released. A motive for the shooting is currently under investigation.
More than 300 students were inside the library studying for finals when the shooting occurred. One student, Toni Haywood, was on the second floor of the library around 12:30 a.m. when she heard gunshots, ABC News reported. Minutes later, the police announced via intercom that there was a gunman in the library, Haywood told the network via text.
This video reportedly shows students inside the library listening to the announcement:
Officers then began evacuating the building and searching for additional suspects and credible witnesses.
The evacuated students were eventually allowed to return to the library to collect their belongings.
According to Ian Clark, a nursing supervisor at Tallahassee Memorial Health Care, two gunshot victims were being treated at the hospital. A third person was also wounded and treated on the scene, police said.
The names of the victims are still unknown, however, authorities confirmed they were all students. Their current conditions have not been released.
During a press conference this morning, authorities announced that the five officers involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave while the investigation is ongoing.
FSU President John Thrasher was not on campus during the shooting. However, he took to Twitter to post the following statement:
The university also announced that classes would be canceled on Thursday.
Anyone with information about this case is urged to call (850) 891-4200 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 574-TIPS.
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