Arizona campus shooting likely the result of an argument
One person was killed and three others suffered gunshot wounds after a violent confrontation on Northern Arizona University's Flagstaff campus. A suspect is in custody.
A suspect is in custody after a shooting at Northern Arizona University’s Flagstaff campus left one person dead and three others injured, according to school and law enforcement officials.
An 18-year-old NAU freshman, Steven Jones, allegedly opened fire with a handgun after a confrontation between two student groups, according to the school’s police chief, Gregory Fowler. The incident happened at approximately 1:20 a.m. Pacific time at a parking lot on the northeast side of the campus outside the Mountainview Hall dormitory.
Police are waiting until sunrise to process the crime scene.
Chief Fowler said names of the victims will not be released until all family members are contacted. The conditions of the injured is unknown, but all suffered gunshot wounds, according to Fowler. They are being treated at Flagstaff Medical Center.
In a post on Twitter, the university said the situation was stabilized and the campus was not on lockdown.
“We put out an active shooter alert, we put out additional information about the location, we put information about [how] the situation stabilized and the campus was safe,” said Fowler.
But several students on Twitter complained they didn’t receive any alert about the incident, or that it came late. Fowler noted that students must sign up for the alerts, and that the ones sent out were precautionary.
“The situation here was stabilized right away by the officers.... We put the alert out as a precautionary measure, not necessarily one that students had to actively take measures to protect themselves,” Fowler said, adding that four alerts were sent out.
Parents may call 928-523-0007 for more information.
CNN reported that Delta Chi fraternity confirmed members of its NAU chapter were involved in the shooting, but said it “was not a chapter-related incident.”
Northern Arizona University is a 4-year public university with more than 20,000 undergraduates.
This report contains material from Reuters and the Associated Press.