UPDATE: At least two people were injured in a shooting incident at Mariucci Arena on the University of Minnesota campus on Friday night. Shots were fired after a graduation ceremony for Wayzata High School. The suspect has been taken into custody.
ORIGINAL STORY: A shooting was reported at Mariucci Arena on the University of Minnesota campus during Wayzata High School’s graduation ceremony on Friday, according to The Minnesota Times. Police and emergency medical services responded to the scene.
The university issued an alert around 8:40 p.m., urging the public to avoid the area until further notice. The suspect is now in police custody. As of now, it remains unclear whether anyone was injured in the incident.
Several witnesses took to social media to report the incident.
One person wrote, “There was a shooting outside the Mariucci Arena….. We were out on the grass, I heard one shot, and the crowd started running….our family is safe…we took a couple pictures and left. Police arrived quickly…lots of police and sirens…As we were in the car waiting to get out of the parking lot the ambulance went by siren wailing and lights flashing.”
Another person wrote, “Everyone had spilled outside in front onto the lawn to celebrate and take pictures when we heard what sounded like a gunshot/firework/car backfire and people yelling that someone had been shot in the head, and there was a mini stampede. Everyone was in disbelief that it was real. The word is someone got shot in the head, and there may two victims. A huge police response came within minutes, they were walking around with rifles.”
{{/usCountry}}Another person wrote, “Everyone had spilled outside in front onto the lawn to celebrate and take pictures when we heard what sounded like a gunshot/firework/car backfire and people yelling that someone had been shot in the head, and there was a mini stampede. Everyone was in disbelief that it was real. The word is someone got shot in the head, and there may two victims. A huge police response came within minutes, they were walking around with rifles.”
{{/usCountry}}A third witness wrote, “I was leaving work at the WA Ave ramp when I heard a ton of sirens. Wondering what was up. Then got the first UofM alert on my way home.”