2 People, Not Students, Reportedly Killed in Murder-Suicide at Penn State Satellite Campus
Two people were killed Wednesday afternoon in a shooting at the Pennsylvania State University Beaver campus in Monaca, Pennsylvania, PEOPLE confirms.
Reports from the Associated Press, Penn State’s Daily Collegian and local TV station KDKA said the incident was being investigated as an apparent murder-suicide, according to police.
Authorities said a female employee at the university was shot and killed by her estranged husband in a school parking lot, the AP reports. The gunman then reportedly killed himself.
PEOPLE could not immediately confirm these details of the shooting.
The Penn State Beaver chancellor, Jenifer S. Cushman, said on social media that neither person killed was a student, though further information about the victims and the incident was not released.
An official with Pennsylvania’s Beaver County Emergency Services says authorities do not believe there are other casualties.
Emergency responders were first notified about the shooting when school police called them about 3:41 p.m., the official says. A school spokeswoman reportedly confirmed the shooting occurred in a parking lot outside the food services building.
“There was a tragic act of violence at Penn State Beaver this afternoon which did not involve students,” Chancellor Cushman wrote in a post on the school’s Facebook page. “Our thoughts are with all who have been affected.”
• Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.
April Johnston-Smith, public relations director at @PennStateBeaver, verified a murder-suicide occurred on campus this afternoon. No students were involved. pic.twitter.com/sPPLJvNwm7
— Kate Malongowski (@BCTkate) December 13, 2017
The shooting occurred in parking lot G between the police and food service buildings around 4 p.m. today.
"I don't think Penn State has experienced anything like this at any of our campuses," said Jenifer Cushman, @PennStateBeaver chancellor. "It's a tragedy."— Kate Malongowski (@BCTkate) December 13, 2017
“Please know that the threat has ended, and that your safety and security remain our number one priority,” Cushman’s post continued. “Our campus police are vigilant; please avoid the student union building and food services area until further notice.
“A police investigation is underway and additional details will be released as they become available. We understand this is a traumatic event for our campus community.”
State police are now investigating, the emergency services official says.
“The scene is under control,” he says. “It is no longer active.”
Other law enforcement agencies and Penn State representatives could not immediately be reached by PEOPLE.
This is a developing story. Please return for updates.
