Crime & Safety

UPDATED: 2 Dead After Shootings Unnerve Michigan State Officials Enough to Send Text Alerts

The university issued "secure in place" warnings to students after a pair of shootings occurred nearby within a half-hour's time.

Updated at 5 p.m.: 

A suspect has been taken into custody and another remains after large after two shootings near Michigan State University prompted officials to issue “secure in place”warnings to students.

In the second incident, SWAT Team officers escorted the suspect, who wore a black hood over his head, out of a home in the 1800 block of Coolidge Road, where the someone was believed shot about 11:30 a.m., The Detroit News reports. Police later confirmed that one person had been found dead in the duplex.

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Police in East Lansing and Lansing are investigating to determine if the shooter involved in the second incident was also involved in a fatal shooting at Rite-Aid pharmacy in Lansing about a half an hour earlier.

In the pharmacy shooting, an employee was fatally shot around 11 a.m. Monday. The suspect had fled by the time police arrived, and they do not have a motive. Witnesses told police the suspect walked into the store, made contact with the victim, and then fired a number of shots.

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A K-9 unit was deployed, but the dog did not locate the gunman, who was described by witnesses as a 5-foot, 10-inch black male wearing a black shirt, black pants and black hat. He was carrying a black bag.

The university didn’t close any buildings and the advisory was lifted about 1:15 p.m.

“Both events happened off campus,” MSU spokesman Jason Cody told The Detroit News. “But since it was so close to campus, we did activate our text alert system at about 11:29 a.m. because we have a lot of students who live off campus.”

The text alerts told students of the locations of the shootings and advised them to alert their friends and take shelter.


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