Three people were killed, and five others were injured after a gunman opened fire at Michigan State University on Monday night. The shooting incident sent terrified students running and hiding in the dark. It also prompted a manhunt that lasted for hours.

According to the Associated Press, the gunman was pronounced dead early Tuesday or four hours after the shootings broke out in the Michigan State University's Berkey Hall at around 8:18 p.m. and then later at the adjacent MSU union building, where the victims were found.

"This truly has been a nightmare we're living tonight," said Chris Rozman, the campus police department's interim deputy chief. The Michigan State University shooting is the latest in what has become a deadly new year in the United States.

In California, 11 people were shot to death as they welcomed the Lunar New Year at a dance hall. The victims were among the dozens of people who have died in mass shootings this year. 

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Gunman in Michigan State University Shooting Commits Suicide

Police described the 43-year-old suspect as a short Black male wearing a denim jacket, a ball cap, and red shoes. After hundreds of officers combed the East Lansing campus, some 145 kilometers northwest of Detroit, Chris Rozman said the suspect had been found off campus.

Police reportedly confronted the suspect before committing suicide. Authorities noted that he had died from a "self-inflicted gunshot wound."

Police said the suspect was not a student or employee and had no known affiliation with the university. The suspect's name was not released.

The victims' identities were also not released, nor any details about the firearm or what cops found at the scene. Authorities are yet to establish a motive, saying only that the investigation is still ongoing.

Michigan State University Cancels Campus Activities Following Shooting Incident

The university sent out a shelter-in-place order at around 8:31 p.m., telling students to stay inside and blockade themselves.

But after police confirmed the suspect's death, they announced that the shelter-in-place order had been lifted as there was "no longer a threat to campus." However, all campus activities have still been canceled for 48 hours. 

Fox News reported that Michigan State University officials have canceled classes for the next two days and asked that students stay away from campus. According to Teresa Woodruff, the interim university president, it would be a time "to think and grieve and come together."

"This Spartan community - this family - will come back together," Woodruff noted. The Federal Aviation Administration also implemented temporary flight restrictions over the university's campus until Wednesday. 

ESPN reported that even sports and other activities were canceled for 48 hours. However, Chris Rozman noted that the 48-hour window of cancellations is still "subject to change." Michigan State University has about 50,000 students, including some 19,000 who live on campus.

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This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

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