According to Chris Cook, a spokesman for the school, Campus Police at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, were running a student welfare check on Monday when an officer discovered drugs and relating paraphernalia in a freshman’s room. This led to the freshman fatally shooting the campus police officer and escaping from the school. After a lockdown and manhunt, the student is now in custody.

Student welfare check at Texas Tech reveals drugs

According to a report by KCBD, the incident happened at around 7:45 PM on Monday. While performing a student welfare check in the room of Hollis Daniels, 19, a campus police officer found unspecified drugs and their relating paraphernalia on the scene.

Daniels was taken to Texas Tech University Police Quarters, where he suddenly pulled out a gun, shooting the officer in the head.

According to police sources, Daniels’ removed the officer’s body camera following the shooting. Police are trying to establish whether the gun used by Daniels n the shooting belonged to the student or the officer. The officer was not identified, pending family notification.

Student escapes leading to university lockdown

Daniels then escaped on foot, leading to the school being placed under lockdown and students and faculty were advised to find safe shelter while the manhunt for the shooting suspect was underway.

Lubbock police and the Lubbock County Sheriff's Office assisted a SWAT team in the search for Daniels. According to a statement by the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, the suspect was found almost two hours later at around 9:28 p.m. near the Lubbock Municipal Coliseum and was tackled by a campus police officer and taken into custody.

Following his arrest, the lockdown was lifted at the university. The campus police officer’s body camera was found at around 10:30 p.m. After the lockdown was lifted, the university advised that classes will resume as normal on Tuesday, but students have been warned to avoid the north side of the campus and the Texas Tech Police Department, due to it being a crime scene.

The New York Daily News quotes Daniels’ Facebook page as saying he hails from Seguin, Texas and was studying Communications Arts at Texas Tech University.

Texas Tech President Lawrence Schovanec said in a statement that the family of the deceased officer is in the community’s thoughts and prayers. Schovanec went on to express his deepest appreciation to the Lubbock Police Department, Texas Tech Police Department and Lubbock Sheriff’s Office for their swift response.
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