MIDWEST CITY, Okla. – A man shot to death a 20-year-old student Monday at Rose State College in Oklahoma, according to police, who reported no other injuries after the campus was briefly put on lockdown.
Midwest City Police Chief Sid Porter said the suspect surrendered upon being approached by officers after the shooting near the center of the 13,000-student campus. The two-year college is just outside Oklahoma City.
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In a statement, police identified the suspect as Brandon Morrissette, 30, who faces a first-degree murder charge. It was not immediately clear whether he had an attorney Monday night.
Porter said the victim and Morrissette's wife, who is also a student at Rose State College, were walking out of a building when they were confronted by the gunman. The victim, who police did not immediately identify, was pronounced dead on the scene. Porter did not provide any other details about what might have led to the shooting.
Kevin McCormack, a student from the suburb of Choctaw, said he was meeting a friend on campus when he heard gunfire. He said they looked over and saw a man hitting the ground, next to another man holding a gun and a woman who was trying to calm him down.
“Almost immediately, we said, ‘Go, go, go!’ and took off," McCormack said.
Rose State College canceled classes for the remainder of the day after lifting the lockdown order.
Porter said the first officers arrived to the scene in approximately one minute. He praised students and staff for how they responded during the lockdown and noted that weeks before the shooting, Rose State College had practiced what to do in the event of an active shooter.
“Things got locked down real quick,” Porter said. “I just think they did a fantastic job listening to the school and everybody staying down and not panicking because we didn’t know what was going on.”
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Murphy reported from Oklahoma City.