Updated Friday, March 2, 2018, 2:33 p.m. EST: Sources told the Detroit Free Press that the victims of the shooting at Central Michigan University are believed to be the shooter’s parents.
It is believed that the situation escalated from a domestic dispute. The person of interest has been identified as James Eric Davis Jr., who is still at large. Davis is still considered armed and dangerous, prompting the entire university and most of Mount Pleasant, Mich., where the university is located, to be put on lockdown while local, state and federal law enforcement canvass the area.
Police told the Free Press that they had encountered Davis on Thursday night, when they escorted him to a local hospital to be turned over to medical staff. Police believe that there may have been a drug-related issue that prompted the hospital visit. Davis was released from the hospital Friday morning, shortly before the shooting.
Cameras from the common area of the dorm where the shooting took place showed Davis leaving the dorm and heading north, running along train tracks. Authorities were able to recover pieces of clothing along the tracks.
Friday was meant to be the last day of school before spring break. The university is asking anyone who plans to come to campus to pick up students for spring break to stay off campus until further notice.
Updated Friday, March 2, 2018, 11:25 a.m. EST: At least two people have been killed in a shooting at a Central Michigan University dorm, Michigan state police confirmed Friday, USA Today reports.
The university tweeted out that those killed were not students and that “police believe the situation started from a domestic situation.”
The city of Mount Pleasant, Mich.’s Twitter account has also issued more details about the suspect, reporting that he is a 19-year-old black man, about 5 feet 9 inches tall, who was wearing mustard-yellow jeans and a blue hoodie.
Earlier:
Police are responding to reports of shots being fired at Central Michigan University Friday morning, with the university urging students to “hide and stay alert.”
According to the Detroit Free Press, Michigan State Police confirmed that two people had been shot, while the gunman remains at large.
The city of Mount Pleasant, Mich.’s Twitter account identified the suspect as a black man who is to be considered armed and dangerous.
A text was sent out to students alerting them of shots fired near the fourth floor of Campbell Hall, a co-ed residence building consisting of four-person, single-bedroom, two-bathroom suites.
The school’s College of Humanities and Social and Behavioral Sciences has also been tweeting out the incident, urging students to “please hide and stay alert.”