Two men were killed on Wednesday in a shooting at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), prompting thousands of frightened students and staff members to hunker down or run for shelter as police went door to door searching for the gunman or other victims.
After a lockdown that lasted throughout the morning, Los Angeles police said that the gunman was among the dead and declared the campus safe.
“A homicide and a suicide occurred,” Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck said. “It appears it is entirely contained. We believe there are no suspects outstanding and no continuing threat to UCLA’s campus.”
A gun was found at the scene.
“There is evidence there that could be a suicide note,” Beck said.
The shooting victim was William Klug, an associate professor in UCLA’s mechanical and aerospace engineering department, said Alan Garfinkel, a professor of integrative biology and physiology who worked closely with Klug for the past five years.
Garfinkel, who was attending a meeting in a nearby building when the shooting occurred, said he had been informed of Klug’s death by Los Angeles and campus police officers.
“He was an extremely sweet and kind person,” Garfinkel said. “It’s so mind-blowing that this happened to him, of all people.”
He described Klug as a devout Christian, adding that the two would often have debates in front of students about ethics and religion.
The shooting took place about 10am inside a small office in the Engineering IV building, officials said.
There were hundreds of people in the building at the time.
The campus was placed on lockdown, with text message and e-mail alerts sent to students and employees telling them to shelter in place or, if they were in the open, to find shelter.
It was not until more than two hours later that authorities declared the situation was resolved and officials began to lift the lockdown.
Earlier, police officers went building by building, escorting out groups of people who had their hands raised. The people then knelt on the ground as officers searched their backpacks and purses for weapons.
Melanie Beecher, a first-year student, said she had reached her philosophy class shortly after receiving the first alert.
“Immediately we barricaded the doors, blocked openings with trash cans, turned off the lights and pulled down the blinds,” she said.
Beecher added that she had called friends who had not yet arrived, telling them to stay in their dormitories.
Ceci Falktoft, another first-year student, was walking to a meeting with a professor when she saw people running, she said.
Without knowing why, she ran, too, learning about the shooting after she asked others what was happening.
Falktoft ran to Powell Library, where staff members handed out snacks to the many people hiding or studying there and told them they could not leave.
All classes and on-campus activities were canceled for the rest of the day on Wednesday.
However, UCLA executive vice chancellor Scott Waugh said he wanted to resume normal routines as quickly as possible, especially because this is a crucial time of year for many students, with finals coming up, followed shortly thereafter by commencement.
Classes were to resume yesterday, he said, and professional counselors would be available on campus.
Los Angeles police, university police, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives responded to the incident. Hundreds of law enforcement officers scoured the building where the shooting occurred and surrounding buildings.
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