A shooting early Tuesday morning on the Texas Tech University campus left one person dead and two campus police officers injured, according to authorities. The incident occurred around 12:45 a.m. near the north side of Jones AT&T Stadium.
According to a statement from the Texas Tech University Police Department (TTUPD), officers were responding to reports of a suspicious vehicle parked in a campus lot. During the interaction, the individual inside the vehicle suddenly produced a firearm and opened fire on the responding officers.
Both officers were struck by gunfire but sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Emergency medical personnel transported them to University Medical Center (UMC) for treatment. The identities of the officers have not been released, but officials confirmed both are expected to recover.
Officers on scene returned fire, striking the suspect. The individual was pronounced dead at the scene. The identity of the deceased has not yet been released pending notification of next of kin.
The Lubbock Metropolitan Special Crimes Unit has taken over the investigation, which is standard protocol in officer-involved shootings. In a press release issued Tuesday morning, the unit confirmed they are actively gathering evidence and conducting interviews.
There is no ongoing threat to the university, according to an email statement from Tech President Lawrence Schovanec.
“It's important that I emphasize there was no threat to the broader campus community at any time last night, and that is because the threat was contained quickly,” Schovanec said in a news conference following the incident.
Schovanec and Tech PD Chief Kyle Bonath said the suspect was not affiliated with the Tech community.
Schovanec said he is grateful for Tech PD and its response time amid the incident and UMC for the care provided to the injured officers.
“What occurred last night is a very vivid example of the courage and commitment our officers show as they keep our communities safe, and for that we're profoundly grateful,” Schovanec said.
Authorities have not released further details about the suspect, including whether they had any connection to the university. Investigators continue to piece together what led up to the confrontation and are urging anyone with information to contact the Lubbock Police Department or Crime Line.
