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Suspect Is Killed in Attack at Ohio State University That Injured 8 Suspect Is Killed in Attack at Ohio State University That Injured 9
(about 2 hours later)
At least eight people were injured and one suspect was shot dead Monday on the campus of Ohio State University, prompting a massive police response and calls for students to shelter in place and “Run Hide Fight.” Nine people were injured Monday on the campus of Ohio State University when a man veered his car onto the sidewalk, leaped out and stabbed several people with a butcher knife, law enforcement officials said. The attacker was shot dead within about a minute by a campus police officer.
By late morning, officials said the scene had been secured, though parts of campus remained closed and classes were canceled for the rest of Monday. Two law enforcement officials identified the suspected attacker as Abdul Artan, 18. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because the name had not been made public. The officials said that Mr. Artan was of Somali descent.
The episode was reported near Watts Hall, a building at the heart of the university’s sprawling Columbus campus that houses materials science and engineering programs. Ohio State officials originally made reference to an “active shooter,” and heavily armed SWAT teams could be seen making their way up a stairwell of a nearby parking garage before taking two people away in handcuffs. Mr. Artan is listed as a logistics management major in Ohio State’s online directory. Officials at Columbus State Community College said Mr. Artan also attended that school and graduated with an associate of arts degree. He was on the Columbus State dean’s list in 2015 and graduated cum laude.
University leaders later said the suspect died from a gunshot, but it was unclear whether the attacker had used a gun. The victims’ injuries “include stab wounds, injury by motor vehicle and other injuries that are being evaluated,” said Benjamin Johnson, an Ohio State spokesman. “Facts are still being verified,” he said. The authorities said on Monday afternoon that they were investigating whether the attack may have been an act of terrorism.
A law enforcement source, speaking on the condition of anonymity to release initial information, said a suspect ran a car into a group of people and jumped out with a knife before being shot dead by the police. Terrorism had not been ruled out. “We believe the threat was ended when the officer engaged the suspect,” said Monica Moll, the university’s director of public safety. “We’re very fortunate that an O.S.U.P.D. officer was there and took quick action, and we believe that injuries were minimized as a result of that.”
The university’s instructions — “Run Hide Fight” — stem from a public awareness campaign that is used in cities, universities and even by the Department of Homeland Security, which includes those instructions on its “active shooter preparedness” webpage. The Ohio State University includes it in its own page on active shooting situations. Eight of the hospitalized victims were believed to be stable, and another patient in critical condition was expected to survive.
A spokeswoman for the Columbus Division of Fire said eight people had been taken to the hospital, seven stable and one in critical condition. Officials at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center said four of the wounded were being treated there, none of whom had life-threatening injuries. “This was done on purpose,” said Chief Craig Stone of the Ohio State University police. “To go over the curb and strike pedestrians and then get out and start striking with the knife — that was on purpose.”
During the chaos, students huddled in residence halls and classrooms, and some took to Twitter posting photos from inside barricaded classrooms. The attack, initially reported as an “active shooter” by the university, stunned students who were returning to class after Thanksgiving break, leading to a 90-minute shelter-in-place warning and an admonition from campus officials to “Run Hide Fight.”
Haylee Gardiner, a sophomore, said she was on her way to a chemistry lab when the attack happened. Haylee Gardiner, a sophomore, said she was on her way to a chemistry lab when the attack happened around 9:50 a.m.
“I saw a bunch of people running and when they were running they were screaming and yelling,” said Ms. Gardiner, who scrambled to a residence hall for shelter. “And then all of a sudden, I heard four or five gunshots.” “I saw a bunch of people running, and when they were running, they were screaming and yelling,” said Ms. Gardiner, who scrambled to a residence hall for shelter. “And then all of a sudden, I heard four or five gunshots.”
The F.B.I., through its office in Cincinnati, said it was “assisting” the campus police. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also said agents from its Columbus office were responding to the shooting. Sean Cody, 23, from Akron, Ohio, was running late for his philosophy class, and after hearing a loud boom, he sprinted into a building to alert fellow students.
Gov. John Kasich of Ohio posted on Twitter that he was praying for people on campus, whom he encouraged to “be safe” and “listen to first responders.” Mr. Kasich also postponed a public appearance planned for Monday afternoon. “Then there was a bang, a dust cloud, then shouting and screaming, and people just booking it in every direction,” Mr. Cody said. “Then, 30 seconds, a minute later, there were gunshots.”
During the chaos, students huddled in locked rooms, and some took to Twitter, posting photos from inside barricaded classrooms.
The episode was reported near Watts Hall, a building at the heart of the university’s sprawling Columbus campus that houses materials science and engineering programs. Officials said it was unclear whether a fire alarm at that building earlier Monday was connected to the attack.
Heavily armed SWAT teams swarmed the campus, and at one point could be seen making their way up a stairwell of a nearby parking garage before taking two people away in handcuffs. They were not believed to be suspects.
Monday’s violence comes after a February machete attack at a Mediterranean restaurant in Columbus, which also ended with the police killing the suspect. The restaurant’s owner told reporters he believed he was targeted because of his Israeli heritage. Also, in September, a young Somali man, Dahir Adan, was killed by the police in St. Cloud, Minn., after stabbing 10 people at a shopping mall.
The episode on Monday was the latest mass-casualty episode on an American college campus. Multivictim shootings at Virginia Tech, Northern Illinois University and California’s Oikos University, among several others, have led colleges nationwide to plan how to respond to an attack. Monday’s instruction to “Run Hide Fight” came from a training program used by Ohio State and other groups for reacting to active shooting situations.
“We prepare for situations like this, but always hope never to have one,” said Michael Drake, Ohio State’s president.