Ohio State University is on lockdown after an active shooter was reported on campus. The school alerted students at 9:56 A.M. via Twitter and have since encouraged all to shelter in place.
“Buckeye Alert: Active Shooter on campus. Run Hide Fight. Watts Hall. 19th and College,” OSU Police tweeted, after an incident happened at Watts Hall, a science and engineering building on campus. The building is located near 19th and College.
Buckeye Alert: Active Shooter on campus. Run Hide Fight. Watts Hall. 19th and College.
— OSU Police (@OSUPOLICE) November 28, 2016
A second shooter was confirmed just a few minutes later. He was last seen at the garage near Lane and Tuttle. Police are currently looking for a 20-year-old black male with short hair. Here’s everything you need to know about what’s going on at Ohio State University.
What Happened?
Columbus Fire got the initial report at 9:30 A.M. that an SUV ran into the chemical engineering building on campus. One person reportedly jumped out of the car with a knife, while another jumped out with a gun. According to WBNS, that’s when the attack first started. Armed SWAT teams are currently on the scene, but it remains unclear if any have gone into the building yet. According to the college’s newspaper The Lantern, there is at least one death.
“Stay away from Lane Ave parking garage,” Oldfields OSU, a local tavern associated with the OSU community, tweeted out. “Police snipers on roof of Blackwell. They’re good to go. Go home. Stay out of the way.”
Stay away from Lane Ave parking garage. Police snipers on roof of Blackwell. They're good to go.
Go home. Stay out of the way.
— Oldfields is OPEN daily 3-10p. (@OldfieldsOSU) November 28, 2016
The college newspaper also tweeted out a photo of the Lane Avenue garage, where one of the shooters was reportedly last seen. “Heavy police presence at the Lane Avenue Garage,” they tweeted. “Officer on scene said the remaining shooter is believed to be inside.”
Heavy police presence at the Lane Avenue Garage. Officer on scene said the remaining shooter is believed to be inside. pic.twitter.com/YN9m2mFYUV
— The Lantern (@TheLantern) November 28, 2016
A faculty member who spoke to NBC 4 Columbus said that one of his colleagues was in the building at the time of the attack, and was slashed in the leg with a machete. Another student told the station that his girlfriend was in the building when she heard gunshots. She sought shelter in a nearby bathroom.
“We heard a lot of sirens. I was in class and everyone got a text message at the same time for the emergency alert,” OSU senior Anthony Falzarano, 22, told CNN. “Someone said they heard popping right before we got the alert, but I didn’t hear it. We are in a shelter-in-place right now in the building next door.”
He continued, “There’s a lot of police and fire trucks and an ambulance outside the building. The officers are putting on Kevlar vests and have big weapons,” he said. “I can’t see anyone going inside the building — there’s just so many cops here.”
Another student heard the gunshots from across the street. “My roommate and I heard about three or four gunshots from across the street, and soon after we heard a bunch of police and ambulances pull up across the street,” 19-year-old Wyatt Crosher said. “We can’t see the building where the shooting happened because of a dorm blocking our view. It truly sounded like gunshots, and really soon after we heard a bunch of sirens. We can see the police cars from our dorm.”
What Students Are Saying
Students have since responded to the threat on social media.
News reports claiming 4-5 casualties, multiple shooters, and one in custody. I'm 100ft outside the building and can't leave b/c police tape pic.twitter.com/wbR6dVRhvm
— rosetta stoner (@goldfishwhore) November 28, 2016
https://twitter.com/_falzarano/status/803255052622303232
I can't concentrate knowing there is a shooter on campus at OSU
— Katie ♡ (@katie_frank12) November 28, 2016
https://twitter.com/hyp3rfr3ak/status/803272641331232776
Live Coverage
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Update: 11:12 A.M. – One shooter is confirmed dead. According to The Lantern, “one suspect has been removed from the garage in handcuffs.” However, there is no confirmation of whether or not the person was the shooter.
https://twitter.com/TheLantern/status/803270623778709504
Eight people have been transported to the hospital, with one person in critical condition.
Update: 11:39 A.M. – The shelter in place order has been lifted. Classes have been canceled for the rest of the day.
Update: 3:14 P.M.- It has been confirmed that though the school referred to the perpetrator as an “active shooter,” there was no gun involved.
