(NBC News) – The gunman who was fatally shot by police after opening fire in a library at Florida State University early Thursday was identified as a school alumnus and attorney, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. The suspected shooter had sent hundreds of students who’d been studying for final exams running for their lives and cowering behind bookshelves. Three students were found suffering gunshot wounds at the scene.
Police received a call about an “armed subject” at the Strozier Library on the school’s main campus in Tallahassee at 12.30 a.m. ET. Officers confronted the gunman and ordered him to drop his weapon, according to Tallahassee Police spokesman Dave Northway. “The suspect did not comply with the commands and shot at the officers,” he added. “They returned fire and the suspect was killed.”
During a press conference at 6 a.m. ET, Police Chief Michael DeLeo described the shooting as an “isolated incident with one person acting alone.” The suspect, whose name was not immediately confirmed by NBC News, reportedly graduated from Florida State before attending Texas Tech University’s law school.
One of the shooting victims was listed in critical condition early Thursday, Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare spokeswoman Stephanie Derzypolski said. Another was in stable condition. Police said a third victim had received a “grazing injury” and was treated at the scene.