Central Mich. student kills folks, flees
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. — More than 100 police officers, some heavily armed in camouflage uniforms, searched neighborhoods near Central Michigan University on Friday for a 19-year-old student suspected of killing his parents at a dormitory and then running from campus.
The shooting at Campbell Hall happened on a day when parents were arriving to pick up students for the beginning of a weeklong 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 he shouldn’t be confronted. Hours after a cam- pus lockdown, police started a “slow, methodical removal” of staff and students who were ordered to take shelter in campus buildings, Lt. Larry Klaus said.
“He should be considered armed and dangerous,” Klaus said of Davis.
The school posted an alert Friday morning on social media about shots being fired at Campbell Hall. An automated phone message was sent to students.
The university identified the two dead as his parents, James Davis Sr. and Diva Davis (photos, left to right). The shooting occurred around 8:30 a.m. at a residence hall at Central Michigan, which is about 70 miles north of Lansing.
Klaus said video at the dorm suggests Davis left on foot after the shooting. He was wearing a hoodie but shed clothes while on the run.
“This has been a tragic day . ... The hurting will go on for a while,” said university President George Ross.
Klaus said Davis was taken to a hospital Thursday night by campus police because of a drug-related health problem, possibly an overdose.