At least eight people were taken to
hospitals after an active shooter was reported on the Ohio State
University campus Monday, authorities said.
One of those eight patients is in critical condition, Columbus Fire spokeswoman Rebecca Diehm said.
Campus officials urged people to shelter in place and avoid the Watts Hall area.
"Buckeye
Alert: Active Shooter on campus. Run Hide Fight. Watts Hall. 19th and
College," OSU Emergency Management tweeted Monday morning.
Watts Hall is the university's materials science and engineering building.
OSU senior Anthony Falzarano, 22, said he was in class at the time of the shooting.
"We
heard a lot of sirens. I was in class and everyone got a text message
at the same time for the emergency alert," he told CNN. "Someone said
they heard popping right before we got the alert, but I didn't hear it.
We are in a shelter-in-place right now in the building next door. "
Falzarano said "there's a lot of police and fire trucks and an ambulance outside the building."
"The
officers are putting on Kevlar vests and have big weapons," he said. "I
can't see anyone going inside the building -- there's just so many cops
here."
Some students piled chairs against a door to barricade themselves.
"I'm safe in a barricaded room," Harrison Roth tweeted. "If you're on campus, get in a room and stay safe."
Sophomore Wyatt Crosher said he heard gunfire from across the street.
"My roommate and I heard about three or
four gunshots from across the street, and soon after we heard a bunch of
police and ambulances pull up across the street," the 19-year-old said.
"We can't see the building where
the shooting happened because of a dorm blocking our view. It truly
sounded like gunshots, and really soon after we heard a bunch of sirens.
We can see the police cars from our dorm."
Students were moved back from the scene as police investigated.
Ohio State University's main campus in
Columbus is one of the largest in the United States. The university has
more than 65,000 students enrolled across the state.
Students
had just returned to class Monday after the Thanksgiving break -- and
after the OSU football team's big win Saturday over the school's biggest
rival, University of Michigan.
Michigan's athletic department tweeted its support for OSU, saying "Stay safe, Buckeyes."
Classes were canceled for the rest of
the day across campus. Students are getting ready for final exams, which
begin on December 9.
The incident also comes during the first month of the OSU public safety director's job.
Monica Moll came to the helm on October 31.
In
addition to local authorities, the Bureau of Alcohol,Tobacco, Firearms
and Explosives is on the ground in Columbus, spokesman Dave Coulson
said.
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