EAST LANSING, Mich. — One person was killed in an on-campus shooting at Michigan State University Monday night as the university police told students "secure in place immediately" and searched for a lone gunman.
The university said the first shots were fired inside Berkey Hall at 8:18 p.m. on the north end of campus near Grand River and Farm Lane. Gunshots reportedly were later heard at nearby Snyder-Phillips Hall, where police began swarming the building with guns drawn. IM East was investigated by police afterward, according to MSU police.
MSU spokeswoman Emily Guerrant confirmed one fatality from the shooting inside Berkey Hall, which houses the College of Social Science, the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research and the Department of Sociology, according to MSU's website.
"Suspect is still at large and believed to be on foot," MSU said in a statement. "All persons on campus and in (the) neighboring community should immediately shelter in place and secure the room they are in."
Before 10 p.m., MSU police said the suspect is believed to be a short male with a mask: "Please continue to shelter in place. We are still receiving multiple calls of an active shooter on campus."
Text messages were also sent out to students on campus at about 8:30 p.m. Monday.
"Secure in place immediately," the messages said. "Run, hide, fight."
The shooting at MSU comes 14 months after a lone shooter shot and killed four students and wounded six students and a teacher at Oxford High School.
Law enforcement was setting up a unified command post at the Cowles House on campus. Michigan State Police, Meridian Township police, the Ingham County Sheriff's office plus its regional special response team joined MSU campus police on campus.
At about 9:40 p.m., someone yelled from a campus dormitory window: “Did you catch him yet?”
Nearly 30 firetrucks, ambulances and other emergency vehicles were lined up outside of the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum on Grand River Avenue in downtown East Lansing.
At another point, two armed law enforcement officers escorted about 100 students down the sidewalk after they appeared to be coming from the basketball courts.
"I’ve been briefed on the shooting at Michigan State University," Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said on Twitter on Monday night. "The Michigan State Police along with @msupolice, local law enforcement and first responders are on the ground. Let’s wrap our arms around the Spartan community tonight. We will keep everyone updated as we learn more."
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