March 12 (Reuters) – One person has died following a Thursday morning shooting at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, while two others remained in stable condition, the university’s police chief said at a press conference.
The gunman was killed shortly after opening fire. Two victims were transported to a hospital, where one died, while a third person believed to also be a victim took themselves to another hospital, according to Old Dominion Chief of Police Garrett Shelton. All three were affiliated with the university, he said.
Shelton said he would not identify the deceased victim until officers could notify the family.
In a posting on its website, the university said there was no longer a threat but urged the public to avoid the scene of the shooting where emergency personnel continued to work. Classes and campus operations were canceled for the rest of the day.
The university’s initial alert said that the gunman opened fire shortly before 10:49 a.m. in a classroom in Constant Hall, the center of the university’s College of Business.
By midday, police vehicles with flashing lights had blocked off streets around the Norfolk campus. The university, founded in 1930, serves some 24,000 students, according to the school’s website.
University President Brian Hemphill said in a statement to the school community that Old Dominion had “faced a tragedy” and thanked police and emergency responders for swift intervention.
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger wrote on Facebook that she had spoken with university leadership and was mobilizing state support to assist with the situation.
(Reporting by Rich McKay and Steve Gorman; Writing by Julia Harte; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Will Dunham and David Gregorio)
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