Five dead in shooting at Oakland university; suspect arrested in Alameda

By Harry Harris, Oakland Tribune
Posted: 04/02/2012 11:09:03 AM PDT
Updated: 04/02/2012 01:40:34 PM PDT

This image taken with a cell phone shows the early moments of the scene outside of Oikos University in Oakland, Calif., Monday, April 2, 2012. Police surrounded the Christian university in search of a gunman who reportedly opened fire Monday morning, killing at least five people, authorities said. (AP Photo/San Francisco Chronicle, Demian Bulwa) (Demian Bulwa / AP Photo / San Francisco Chronicle)

OAKLAND -- Five people have been killed and several hurt in a shooting this morning at a Christian university in East Oakland, authorities said.

Police would not confirm the total number of casualties from the shooting at Oikos University on Edgewater Drive, but said that a suspect had been arrested at Alameda's South Shore Center.

People were evacuated by armored vehicles from the building at 7850 Edgewater Drive, some taken away by ambulance. More were being triaged outside the building and Oakland's Highland Hospital reports that four victims the the shooting were treated there.

The shooting happened about 10:23 a.m. in a classroom at Oikos University, when the suspect came in and fired multiple shots, police said.

The school offers degrees in religious, musical and nursing fields, according to its website.

Pastor Jong Kim, who founded the school about 10 years ago, said the shooter had previously been a nursing student at Oikos but was no longer enrolled. He was unsure whether the shooter had been expelled or dropped out voluntarily.

Kim did not see the shooting but heard about 30 gunshots. "I stayed in my office," he said, imitating the sound of rapid shots.

Students panicked and ran from the building when the shooting started, said Nam Gong Kyun, a 52-year-old English student from Korea.

Some witnesses outside the school when it happened said that a victim who had fled the building told them the shooter was in the classroom, stood up and shot another student in the chest, and then opened fire on the rest of the classroom.

Students and teachers throughout the building heard the shots, said Lucas Garcia, who has taught English at Oikos for three years.

"We heard many gunshots," he said. "Everybody was scared, obviously."

Check back for updates.

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