4 injured, suspect dead in UC Merced campus stabbing
Suspect was male student at UC Merced
MERCED, Calif. -- UC Merced said four people were injured and the suspect was killed after a stabbing incident in front of the Classroom and Office Building. Among those were two students, one staff member, and one vendor. They are all expected to recover.
Around 8 a.m. on Wednesday, police say a male student at UC Merced stabbed four people. He was then shot by campus police and died a short time later. His name has not been released.
UC Merced sent an alert to students Wednesday morning warning them stay away from the Classroom and Office Building as there had been a stabbing in front of the building.
The campus is closed for the day on Wednesday and California Highway Patrol is diverting traffic around campus on Lake Road and Bellevue Road.
Student Alex Lopez said he was heading to class when he realized something was wrong on campus.
"I was listening to a podcast, and there was a break in talking, and I just hear a gunshot," he said.
He said police and first responders flooded the scene.
"You see this stuff all over the news and stuff and you see it happen to all these other schools, but you don't expect it to happen at your school," said Lopez, 21.
"It shouldn't happen here, it shouldn't happen anywhere -- but thinking that a campus so small and so new... you see familiar faces everywhere. It's very unimaginable that something of this magnitude could happen here," said Sarah Mendoza, UC Merced student.
One student said she saw the suspect running from the officer. She said he was wearing all black and had a hood covering most of his face.
UC Merced officials have said they not all four of the victims were students. They said three or four of them were students, but they are still working to confirm those details.
Two of the victims were flown to the hospital. The extent of their injuries is unknown, however they were reported to be conscious when paramedics arrived. The other three victims were treated on campus. The victims' names have not been released.
The FBI is now involved in the investigation. The Merced County Sheriff's Office is also assisting in the investigation.
Chancellor Dorothy Leland is expected to meet with law enforcement on Wednesday for a briefing. More details are expected to be released following that meeting.
The school with more than 6,600 students is about 60 miles north of Fresno in the farm-rich San Joaquin Valley. The campus in the city of Merced opened a decade ago and is the newest college in the University of California system.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
