USA TODAY International Edition
2 women killed, toddler hurt in shooting at Texas college
AUSTIN, Texas – Two people were killed and a boy wounded in a shooting spree Monday at a residence hall at Texas A& M- Commerce, the school said on its website.
The school said campus police were “actively investigating” the attack at Pride Rock Residence Hall. A shelterin- place recommendation was lifted about 90 minutes after it was posted on Twitter shortly before noon. Police have not identified the suspected shooter but said there appear to be no other threats.
University police Chief Bryan Vaughn said officers responding to a call at about 10: 17 a. m. found two dead women in a room at the dormitory. He said a boy about 2 years old was also in the room and was taken to a hospital, where he was in stable condition.
Vaughn did not take questions after a news conference. Neither they nor the toddler have been identified.
“There have been two confirmed deaths,” the school said in a statement. “The third victim has been taken to the hospital for treatment. UPD has stationed officers throughout the campus, including all key gathering points, for the safety of the campus community.”
Texas A& M- Commerce has an enrollment of about 12,000 students. Classes were canceled for the day. The school is about 65 miles northeast of
Dallas.
Freshman Larry Cooper told the Dallas Morning News he left his second- floor room just before the shelterin- place was announced. He was waiting in a friend’s room on the first floor of the residence hall.
“There’s police blocking the doorways, but other than that we’re all just kind of sitting in and waiting on the news to happen,” Cooper said.
A shooting at an off- campus Halloween and homecoming party near the campus three months ago left two people dead and 12 others injured. Officials had stressed that the party, with about 750 in attendance, was not a school- sanctioned event.