Student Shoots 4 to Death, Kills Self on Iowa Campus

A student opened fire in two buildings on the University of Iowa campus Friday afternoon, killing four people and wounding two others before fatally shooting himself, a university official said.

Ann Rhodes, vice president of university affairs, said the gunman was a graduate student in physics from China. Officials believe the student was upset because he was passed over for an academic honor.

“I don’t know exactly what the triggering factor was,” she said.

One of the victims was another student in the same doctoral program, also from China, Rhodes said.

The two who were wounded were reported in critical condition, Rhodes said.

The gunman shot four people at Van Allen Hall, which houses the physics department, then went to Jessup Hall, the administration building, and shot two more before killing himself, Rhodes said. The gunman was found in Jessup Hall about 10 minutes after the last two people were shot.

The shooting spree lasted about 10 minutes, police said.

Iowa City Police Chief R. J. Winkelhake said that police recovered a .38-caliber revolver.

“Three officers went into Jessup Hall and found the individual believed to be responsible. He was alive at the time but with serious head wounds,” he said.

“At this point, we don’t know why, a motive or anything else,” Winkelhake said.

University President Hunter Rawlings, whose office is in Jessup Hall, was on his way to Ohio for the Iowa-Ohio State football game when the shootings occurred. Rhodes said that Rawlings was returning to Iowa City.

“He expresses his sincere sympathy to the families,” Rhodes said. “This is a tragic occurrence.”

Rhodes said that the school was bringing in a team of psychologists to help several administrators and clerical support staff members who witnessed the shootings.

“There’s never been an incident that compares to this,” she said.

Ed Gendusa, a freshman from Chicago, said he was shocked.

“I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “I’m astonished that somebody could go into a mad shooting like this. I can’t imagine that this could happen in a small town like this.”

“I’m surprised that somebody would go and flip out like this,” said Ben Howard, a student.

Athletic officials forfeited the Friday night women’s volleyball match against Wisconsin.

“In light of today’s tragic shooting, we think it’s only appropriate that we turn our concerns to our friends and colleagues in the university community at this very troubled time,” said Christine Grant, director of women’s athletics.

In the Northeast, rumors of an impending mass murder spread across at least six college campuses last week, prompting officials at some schools to call meetings to comfort students.

The Iowa shooting came less than three weeks after George Hennard drove his truck through the front window of a cafeteria in Killeen, Tex., and fatally wounded 23 people before killing himself. It was the worst mass shooting in U.S. history.