At 9:10 this morning, a student at Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant alerted her Twitter followers about an active Shooting situation in Campbell Hall, a residential dorm in the middle of the campus. Shortly after, police responded to shots fired and found two victims, yet no shooter. While it now appears as though the shooting was not an attempt at a mass shooting, like the recent events at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, the presence of an active shooter on yet another college campus had students and others on high alert.

The suspect

Police have identified the suspect in the double-murder as Central Michigan student James Eric Davis, Jr. A local police Twitter account described Davis as "a black male, approximately 19 years of age, 5'10" & 135 lbs." Police found a scattering of clothing near the scene, so it is unknown exactly what Davis is wearing now, but it is believed that Davis is still armed and dangerous.

Davis, a native of Plainfield, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, was allegedly treated for symptoms related to a drug overdose at a local hospital on Thursday night.

It is unclear if the incident the night before had any relation to the eventual shooting, but it cannot be ruled out as the victims have been identified as his parents, James Davis Sr. and Diva Davis.

A family affair

The campus of Central Michigan University was unusually saturated with parents on Friday morning, as March 2nd marked the final day of class before Spring Break, and many students were being picked up by their parents to return home.

It is believed that Davis' parents were on campus for this reason, suggesting the possibility that Davis Jr. had pre-meditated the double homicide.

As the school went on lockdown following the shooting, other parents were directed to a hotel on campus while students were instructed to not leave the buildings they were in. All classes were cancelled, and students were not able to meet up with their families until several hours later, along with police escort.

Gun violence on campus

America's High School and college campuses are no stranger to what we now call "active shooters," or violent perpetrators intent on shooting and killing as many students and faculty as possible. While Davis in this case does not fit the profile of an "active shooter," the procedures followed by students and police are more evidence of how endemic these types of incidents are. Before the bodies of Davis' parents were found and identified, it was unclear whether this was a random act of violence.

While mass shootings garner significantly more attention than domestic incidents like this, some similar questions are still unanswered. Amid resurgent calls for gun control, it will undoubtedly be asked how a 19 year old student was able to acquire and hide a handgun in his college dorm room, and whether this tragedy could have been prevented by different laws.
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