A former student shot and murdered a professor at the University of Arizona on Wednesday, according to authorities. The suspect has been apprehended.
According to University of Arizona Police Chief Paula Balafas, the shooting took place inside the Harshbarger Building on the university’s main campus in Tucson. Someone inside the facility called police at 2 p.m. local time and asked them to remove a former student who was not supposed to be there, according to Balafas. While officers were on their way, they received a second call reporting a shooting. The shooter had fled the building, according to a subsequent call to police.
According to Balafas, firefighters treated the man and took him to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The professor was not identified, but Balafas stated that he was a hydrology professor. Balafas was unable to comment on any previous relationship between the shooter and the victim.
Murad Dervish, 46, was apprehended by the Arizona Department of Public Safety following a traffic stop just outside of Gila Bend, Arizona, around four hours after the shooting, according to Balafas. Gila Blend is approximately 120 miles northwest of Tucson.
The incident took place approximately northwest of the university bookshop and student union. Campus notifications advised individuals to avoid the area that was under lockdown.
For the rest of the day, classes, activities, and other campus events were canceled. Classes will resume on Thursday, according to Balafas. However, the building where the incident occurred may remain closed.
In 2011, former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords was shot and wounded outside a supermarket while visiting with constituents. Six people were killed, and 13 others were injured, including Giffords.
A frustrated University of Arizona nursing student shot and killed three nursing professors before killing himself 20 years ago this month.