A suspect has been shot and killed after a campus rampage in Ohio that left at least nine people injured.
The incident began when a vehicle jumped the kerb at Ohio State University, striking pedestrians outside a school building.
The driver got out of the vehicle and began slashing and stabbing bystanders with a “butcher’s knife”.
Less than a minute after police were alerted, a campus police officer shot the suspect dead, authorities said.
The alert began at around 10:00 local time when the college warned students in a tweet to “Run Hide Fight”.
Hours later police declared the scene “secure”, lifting the shelter-in-place order and cancelling classes for the remainder of Monday.
Local hospitals report they are treating eight victims who have non-life-threatening injuries.
A motive is unclear for the attack at the Columbus-based university, which has 60,000 students and is one of the largest in the US.
“We believe the threat was ended when the officer engaged the suspect,” campus director of public safety Monica Moll told reporters outside the university hospital.
She added that it is “very fortunate that an OSU [Ohio State University] officer was there and took quick action.”
Columbus Police sent a SWAT team, dog units, negotiators and a helicopter to the scene.
Federal officials from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also responded.
Columbus Police Chief Kimberley Jacobs said that her officers would work with federal officials to try to determine the motive as well as anyone that the suspect may have communicated with.
“Obviously with the purposeful intent that was noticed – driving on the sidewalk – we’re going look at it from the potential that it was planned,” she told reporters.
She added that the attacker did not use a firearm, despite initial reports of an “active shooter”.
The attack began near Watts Hall, the college’s materials science and engineering building.
“Probably five seconds after that there were three gunshots and it sounded like a handgun.
“And I’ve never seen anything like it. Everybody was running in any direction they possibly could.”
Facebook activated a safety check feature, allowing people nearby to post their status regarding this “violent incident”.
Nearby public school districts also placed their students on lockdown.
“Ohio’s thoughts and prayers go out to the Ohio State community,” Ohio Governor John Kasich tweeted.
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