Gunman opened fire in an academic building and student union on Monday night, police say.
The attacker opened fire on Monday night at an academic building – Berkey Hall – and a nearby student union at the East Lansing campus.
Police added that the gunman, described as a Black man, fatally shot himself after fleeing.
“There are three confirmed fatalities. This is in addition to the five victims who have been transported to the hospital,” campus police said on Twitter.
Students were ordered to shelter in place for hours at the campus, which serves about 50,000 students and is located 145km (90 miles) northwest of Detroit.
SUSPECT PHOTOS: The suspect is a Black male, shorter in stature, red shoes, jean jacket, wearing a baseball cap that is navy with a lighter brim. pic.twitter.com/9blppnX5U3
— MSU Police and Public Safety (@msupolice) February 14, 2023
“I can only imagine the emotion that’s involved right now… we are doing everything we can to ensure the safety of our campus and all of our students,” said Chris Rozman, interim deputy chief of the campus police department.
The conditions of the wounded were not immediately known and it was not clear what kind of firearm the gunman used in the attack.
Aedan Kelley, a junior who lives close to the campus, told The Associated Press he locked his doors and covered his windows “just in case”.
Sirens were constant, he said, and a helicopter hovered overhead.
“It’s all very frightening,” Kelley said. “And then I have all these people texting me wondering if I’m OK, which is overwhelming.”
Mass shootings have become alarmingly common in the US, with 648 reported in 2022, slightly less than the 690 reported in 2021, according to the Gun Violence Archive tracker.
The recent high-profile attack saw a gunman fatally shoot 10 people during a Lunar New Year party in Monterey Park California.
Schools, places of worship and work are common targets.
In 2022, a gunman opened fire at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, killing 19 children and two teachers. In 2018, an attacker fatally shot 17 at a high school in Parkland, Florida.
In 2012, a gunman killed 20 elementary school children and six adults in Newtown, Connecticut.
More to follow