At least two people were shot dead at the University of California, Los Angeles on Wednesday, police and campus officials said, drawing a phalanx of police cruisers to the scene and prompting officials to lock down the campus.
Police had yet to report locating a suspect.
Los Angeles police spokesman Aareon Jefferson reported two fatalities from the shooting but could not confirm any details about the victims nor provide further information about the suspect.
Police were still investigating at the scene, Jefferson said.
“The campus remains on lockdown,” UCLA’s office of media relations said in an online posting.
Bioengineering student Bahjat Alirani said police were yelling at people to run from the scene.
“I was in Boelter Hall to take a final and I exit the staircase to see SWAT-looking police yelling at everyone to evacuate immediately,” Alirani told Reuters. “I check my email and BruinAlert had immediately sent an email to all students notifying them of a shooter in the engineering building.”
The university has more than 43,000 enrolled students, according to its website.
UCLA is in the Westwood section of Los Angeles and one of the more well-regarded schools in the University of California system, known for its successful sports program.
The city of Los Angeles was placed on a tactical alert citywide, which means officials can allocate resources based on need, Los Angeles Police Captain Andrew Neiman told reporters near the scene.
There were no reports of bombs or other devices, Neiman said. {eoa}
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