2 dead, 1 injured as gunman opens fire on university campus in Texas

An unidentified gunman opened fire on the Texas A&M University-Commerce campus on Monday (February 3) resulting in the death of two people, the university police department said. The university is home to thousands of Indian-origin students and several faculty members.

Police said one person was injured in the shooting and was taken to a hospital. The incident occurred at the Pride Rock Residence Hall. Police had earlier said they were investigating a crime scene and asked the campus community to shelter in place. It’s not clear whether the gunman has been arrested.

The university later posted a notice on its website saying the “precautionary shelter in place recommendations” have been lifted, but Pride Rock and the surrounding areas remain blocked off. Classes were also cancelled for the day, the administration said.

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As of August 2016, those who hold a current and valid concealed handgun license in Texas are allowed to carry a concealed handgun on certain parts of the campus. Handgun licence holders are also allowed to store the weapon in a safe in their campus housing, according to the police.

Texas A&M’s campus in Commerce, Texas, is over 200 miles north of Texas A&M’s main campus in College Station. An analysis of student visa data suggests that in 2018 as many as 183,312 Indian students came to the US to study at American colleges and universities. From this pool of 183,312, Texas A&M was home to approximately 1,607 Indian students.

(With inputs from agencies)

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