Two dead after shooting at Central Michigan University

Police were searching Friday for a young man suspected of killing two people at a Central Michigan University residence hall on the same day parents were arriving to pick up students beginning their spring break.

Police released a photo of James Eric Davis Jr., urging the public to call 911 if they see him but also warning that the 19-yearold shouldn’t be confronted.

The campus was locked down, and students and staff were told to find shelter.

“He should be considered armed and dangerous,” campus police Lt. Larry Klaus said.

The shooting occurred around 8:30 a.m. at Campbell Hall, a residence hall at Central Michigan, which is about 112.6 kilometres north of Lansing. Police described the shooting as a “family-type domestic situation” and said the victims were not students.

Police declined to confirm news reports that said Davis had fatally shot his parents when they came to pick him up for spring break.

Klaus said video at the dorm suggests Davis fled on foot after the shooting. He was wearing a hoodie but had been shedding certain clothes while on the run.

The search was focused on Mount Pleasant neighbourhoods near campus. Officers in camouflage knocked on doors and checked possible hiding places, such as yards and porches. In the surrounding community, students and staff in the Mount Pleasant school district were told not to leave nine buildings.

Klaus said Davis was taken to a hospital Thursday night by campus police because of a drugrelated health problem, possibly an overdose. No other details were released.

Davis is from Plainfield, Ill., and graduated from Central High School in 2016, said Tom Hernandez, a spokesman for Plainfield School District 202.

The shooting occurred on the last day of classes before a weeklong break.

Parents who were trying to pick up students were told instead to go to a local hotel where staff would assist them while the manhunt was ongoing.