America's gun epidemic: Michigan State University shooting kills 3, wounds 5

At least three people were declared dead and five others critically wounded in a mass shooting at Michigan State University (MSU) as the epidemic of gun violence assumes alarming proportions in the United States.

According to reports, citing police officials, the shooting unfolded in two scenes, an academic building and the student union.

The suspect, who police identified as a 43-year-old man, opened fire inside a campus building at night and then moved on to the next building where more shots were fired. He himself died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said.

Chris Rozman, Interim Deputy Chief of the Michigan State University Police, confirmed three fatalities and five injuries, who were transferred to a hospital. 

"Some of the wounded had suffered life-threatening injuries," he was quoted as saying. “Police and emergency responders acted quickly. We tended to the victims at both of those scenes."

All classes, both virtual and in-person, were canceled at the university for at least a 48-hour period, the university said in a statement on Tuesday morning. 

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer was briefed on the shooting and said police were working to secure the area and ensure the safety of the campus.

Weeks before the shooting, Whitmer had pledged to tighten the state’s gun laws. In her State of the State speech in late January, she called for enacting “red flag laws,” which allow judges to order guns be snatched from those who pose threat to others. 

Monday's shooting came on the eve of the fifth anniversary of the Parkland school shooting that left 14 students and three staff members dead.

The Feb. 14, 2018 carnage at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, led to massive protests against gun violence in the US.

ME