One Killed, Suspect In Custody In Purdue University Shooting

By Bill Chappell / NPR

Published January 21, 2014 at 11:14 AM PST

This story was published more than 10 years ago.

A police officer walks out of the Electrical Engineering Building on the campus of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., Tuesday. One person was killed in a classroom by a gunman who surrendered to a police officer within minutes of the attack, officials said.

Police declared the campus of Purdue University safe Tuesday afternoon, hours after a shooting in a school building alarmed students and sparked a partial evacuation order. One person died in the violence; another has been taken into police custody.

Update at 8:55 p.m. ET: Police Identify Those Involved

At an evening news conference, authorities named student Cody Cousins, 23, as the suspect in today's shooting. And they said the victim who died today was another student, Andrew F. Boldt, 21.

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The local Journal & Courier says that Cousins and Boldt "were undergraduate teaching assistants in electrical and computer engineering" under the same professor.

Purdue University President Mitch Daniels issued this statement earlier this hour:

"Violent crime, whenever and wherever it occurs, shocks our conscience and incites our rage. When it happens in our home, to a family member -- and as a Boilermaker Andrew Boldt was family to us -- those emotions are more powerful still.

"Our prayers tonight are with Andrew and with his parents, who have suffered a loss beyond calculation or consolation. In our grief, we pause to thank this event's organizers, but equally each person in attendance. Through your caring witness, you are demonstrating your love for the Boldts, and for each other in the very special community we call 'Boilermakers.'"

The school held a candlelight vigil tonight for those touched by the attack.

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Our original post continues:

The shooting at Purdue's Electrical Engineering Building, which reportedly took place around noon.

Here are more details from Indiana's WTHR TV News, following a news conference this afternoon by police:

"Police say the suspect was taken into custody outside the Electrical Engineering building where the shooting occurred. Police believe the suspect went into the classroom, shot the victim and then left the building.

"Police say the suspect has not been cooperative."

The Purdue Exponent has this account from Erica Ambrose, a student who was attending a class in the same building when the shooting occurred:

"We heard shouting downstairs and it sounded like people were running through the hallways, just yelling at each other."

"We heard the sirens and we looked out the window to see they had somebody in handcuffs," said Ambrose. "Then, the fire alarms went on to evacuate, so we came outside. When we got out, that's when we got the text to avoid the area."

"We didn't actually hear the gunshot. We just heard yelling."

The university has cancelled its classes through Wednesday and is making counselors available to students, according to WTHR.

The school's president, Mitch Daniels, was traveling Tuesday, reports the Exponent. In a statement released this afternoon, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence called the incident "a tragedy," adding, "our heartfelt condolences go out to the family of the victim and to everyone in the Purdue community."