A disgruntled employee with the Ohio State University killed a co-worker and wounded another before fatally shooting himself dead early Tuesday morning, police said.
Police said they believe the gunman, carrying two handguns was unhappy with his poor work evaluation. No students were involved in the incident and classes went on as scheduled.
Police said the gunman, identified as Nathaniel Brown, 51 was a custodial worker and sustained a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Doctors pronounced Larry Wallington, a building services manager, dead after being shot from close range, and Henry Butler, an operations shift leader was injured. Butler is said to be stable and out of danger.
According to eyewitnesses at US’ largest university, more than half-a-dozen employees were at work at the maintenance area when the shooting occurred.
“All of us at Ohio are shocked and deeply saddened by the shooting that occurred on campus early this morning,” University’s president said E. Gordon Gee told media persons.
Students say they were alerted about the campus shootout by the university’s Buckeye Alert system, which provides more than 25,000 subscribers with important information via text message and voice mail.
“This is a Buckeye Alert emergency message from OSU police,” an automated voice said. “A shooting has occurred near McCracken Power Plant. Suspect is in custody. All is safe. Avoid area.”
While the voice mail went out while many students were still sleeping, a campus-wide e-mail is how thousands of additional students learned of the shootings.
The university houses more than 55,000 students at the main campus in Columbus.
The episode brings into light another similar incident in 2007 when a dissatisfied South Korean student went on a rampage killing 32 students and faculty members.
America is debating on whether to ban guns on college campuses, with many believed carrying weapons for personal safety are extremely important. Opponents say that with youngsters indulging in drinking, drugs and pressures, campuses are the wrong place for guns.
Ohio officially forbids guns on campus, following 26 other states in the same line. Utah is the only American state that endorses on-campus arms possession, allowing those over 21 to carry licensed firearms.