Police: 2 dead after shooting at Central Michigan University

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. — Police in camouflage uniforms searched house-to-house near the campus of Central Michigan University on Friday for a student suspected of fatally shooting his parents at a dormitory and then fleeing into the neighborhood.

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-year-old man 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 Friday morning at a residence hall at Central Michigan, which is 70 miles north of Lansing. Police described the shooting as a “familytype domestic situation.”

Police confirmed news reports that Davis had fatally shot his parents — James Davis Sr. and Diva Davis, of Plainfield, Ill. — when they came to pick him up for spring break.

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

The search was focused on Mount Pleasant neighborhoods near campus. Officers in camouflage knocked on doors and checked possible hiding places, such as yards and porches.

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

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

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.

A student, Tyler Whipple, was driving through campus when his route was blocked off by police cars at the scene of the killings. He had to catch a flight to Florida. “These roads are kind of spooky right now,” Whipple said.

The school posted an alert Friday morning on social media about shots being fired at the residence hall called Campbell Hall. An automated phone message was sent to students.

Halie Byron, 20, said she locked herself in her offcampus house, about a 10minute walk from Campbell Hall.

“It’s scary thinking about how easy a shooter can come into a college campus anywhere — a classroom, a library. There’s so much easy access,” Byron said.

Davis