MYNORTHWEST NEWS

3 shot at Seattle Pacific University; gunman arrested

Jun 5, 2014, 3:37 PM | Updated: May 13, 2016, 10:38 pm

Three people were shot Thursday afternoon at Seattle Pacific University. (KIRO Radio Photo/Brandi K...

Three people were shot Thursday afternoon at Seattle Pacific University. (KIRO Radio Photo/Brandi Kruse)

(KIRO Radio Photo/Brandi Kruse)

Seattle firefighters remove a victim from the scene of a shooting at Seattle Pacific University on Thursday, June 5, 2014 in Seattle. About 4,270 students attend the private Christian university, located in a residential neighborhood about 10 minutes from downtown Seattle. (AP Photo/seattlepi.com, Joshua Trujillo) Law enforcement officers gather at the scene of a shooting at Seattle Pacific University on Thursday, June 5, 2014 in Seattle. About 4,270 students attend the private Christian university, located in a residential neighborhood about 10 minutes from downtown Seattle. (AP Photo/seattlepi.com, Joshua Trujillo) Onlookers embrace near the scene of a shooting at Seattle Pacific University on Thursday, June 5, 2014 in Seattle. About 4,270 students attend the private Christian university, located in a residential neighborhood about 10 minutes from downtown Seattle. (AP Photo/seattlepi.com, Joshua Trujillo) Brianna Clarke, left, cries as she talks on her phone while Erin Rutledge, right, an athletic trainer at Seattle Pacific University, is hugged by a colleague, at the scene of a shooting Thursday, June 5, 2014 at Seattle Pacific University in Seattle. About 4,270 students attend the private Christian university, located in a residential neighborhood about 10 minutes from downtown Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) A Seattle Police SWAT team officer strings police tape at the scene of a shooting Thursday, June 5, 2014 at Seattle Pacific University in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) Brianna Clarke, a student at Seattle Pacific University, cries as she talks on her phone at the scene of a shooting Thursday, June 5, 2014 at Seattle Pacific University in Seattle. About 4,270 students attend the private Christian university, located in a residential neighborhood about 10 minutes from downtown Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) A Seattle Police SWAT team officer walks with his gun and a roll of police tape at the scene of a shooting Thursday, June 5, 2014 at Seattle Pacific University in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) Medical workers stow an used backboard at the scene of a shooting Thursday, June 5, 2014 at Seattle Pacific University in Seattle. About 4,270 students attend the private Christian university, located in a residential neighborhood about 10 minutes from downtown Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) Students help each other as they walk away from the scene of a shooting Thursday, June 5, 2014, at Seattle Pacific University in Seattle. Police say a university student on Thursday disarmed a lone gunman who entered a building and shot four people. A hospital spokeswoman says one man has died and three other people are injured, one critically. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) Medical and police officers walk at the scene of a shooting Thursday, June 5, 2014, at Seattle Pacific University in Seattle. Police say a university student on Thursday disarmed a lone gunman who entered a building and shot four people. A hospital spokeswoman says one man has died and three other people are injured, one critically. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) City officials, including Mayor Ed Murray, third from right, and interim police chief Harry Bailey, second from right, walk at the scene of a shooting Thursday, June 5, 2014 at Seattle Pacific University in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) Seattle Police SWAT officers run toward a campus building following a shooting at Seattle Pacific University on Thursday, June 5, 2014, in Seattle. A lone gunman armed with a shotgun opened fire Thursday in a building at the small Seattle university, killing one person before he was subdued by a student as he tried to reload, police said. Police say the student building monitor disarmed the gunman and several other students held him until police arrived at the Otto Miller building. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson) Students and faculty pray together following a shooting on the campus of Seattle Pacific University Thursday, June 5, 2014, in Seattle. Seattle police now say there are four victims in a shooting and say one suspect is in custody. Police say one man and one woman have life-threatening injuries while another man and another woman are reported in stable condition.(AP Photo/Elaine Thompson) Students and faculty pray together following a shooting on the campus of Seattle Pacific University Thursday, June 5, 2014, in Seattle. Seattle police say there are four victims in a shooting and say one suspect is in custody. Police say one man and one woman have life-threatening injuries while another man and another woman are reported in stable condition.(AP Photo/Elaine Thompson) Young people are escorted past police following a shooting on the campus of Seattle Pacific University on Thursday, June 5, 2014, in Seattle. A lone gunman armed with a shotgun opened fire in a building at the small university, killing one person before he was subdued by a student as he tried to reload, police said. Police say the student building monitor disarmed the gunman and several other students held him until police arrived at the Otto Miller building. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson) Young people are escorted past police officers following a shooting on the campus of Seattle Pacific University Thursday, June 5, 2014, in Seattle. Seattle police now say there are four victims in a shooting and say one suspect is in custody. Police say one man and one woman have life-threatening injuries while another man and another woman are reported in stable condition.(AP Photo/Elaine Thompson) A Seattle Police SWAT team officer strings police tape at the scene of a shooting, Thursday, June 5, 2014, at Seattle Pacific University in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) Seattle Police SWAT officers stand near a campus building following a shooting at Seattle Pacific University on Thursday, June 5, 2014, in Seattle. A lone gunman armed with a shotgun opened fire in a building at the small university, killing one person before he was subdued by a student as he tried to reload, police said. Police say the student building monitor disarmed the gunman and several other students held him until police arrived at the Otto Miller building. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson) Emergency workers stand near the scene of a shooting on the campus of Seattle Pacific University Thursday, June 5, 2014, in Seattle. A lone gunman armed with a shotgun opened fire in Otto Miller Hall, hidden behind the vehicle at left, on the campus, killing one person before he was subdued by a student as he tried to reload, police said. Police say the student building monitor at Seattle Pacific University disarmed the gunman and several other students held him until police arrived at the Otto Miller building. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson) Seattle police SWAT team members prepare their gear following a shooting at Seattle Pacific University on Thursday, June 5, 2014, in Seattle. A lone gunman armed with a shotgun opened fire in a building on the campus, killing one person before he was subdued by a student as he tried to reload, police said. Police say the student building monitor disarmed the gunman and several other students held him until police arrived at the Otto Miller building. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson) A police officer stands near the scene of a shooting on the campus of Seattle Pacific University Thursday, June 5, 2014, in Seattle. A lone gunman armed with a shotgun opened fire in Otto Miller Hall, hidden behind the vehicle at left, on the campus, killing one person before he was subdued by a student as he tried to reload, police said. Police say the student building monitor at Seattle Pacific University disarmed the gunman and several other students held him until police arrived at the Otto Miller building. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson) A Seattle police SWAT team member walks toward a campus building following a shooting at Seattle Pacific University on Thursday, June 5, 2014, in Seattle. A lone gunman armed with a shotgun opened fire in a building on the campus, killing one person before he was subdued by a student as he tried to reload, police said. Police say the student building monitor at the university disarmed the gunman and several other students held him until police arrived at the Otto Miller building. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson) A group of young people walk away past emergency vehicles near the scene of a shooting at Seattle Pacific University on Thursday, June 5, 2014, in Seattle. A lone gunman armed with a shotgun opened fire in a building on the campus, killing one person before he was subdued by a student as he tried to reload, police said. Police say the student building monitor at the university disarmed the gunman and several other students held him until police arrived at the Otto Miller building. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson) An emergency worker speaks on a radio following a shooting at Seattle Pacific University Thursday, June 5, 2014, in Seattle. A lone gunman armed with a shotgun opened fire in a building on the campus, killing one person before he was subdued by a student as he tried to reload, police said. Police say the student building monitor at Seattle Pacific University disarmed the gunman and several other students held him until police arrived at the Otto Miller building. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson) Authorities gather at the scene of a shooting Thursday, June 5, 2014 at Seattle Pacific University in Seattle. A lone gunman armed with a shotgun opened fire Thursday in a building at the small Seattle university, killing one person before he was subdued by a student as he tried to reload, police said. Police say the student building monitor disarmed the gunman and several other students held him until police arrived at the Otto Miller building. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) Police and other emergency workers stand at the scene of a shooting at Seattle Pacific University Thursday, June 5, 2014, in Seattle. A lone gunman armed with a shotgun opened fire in a building on the campus, killing one person before he was subdued by a student as he tried to reload, police said. Police say the student building monitor at Seattle Pacific University disarmed the gunman and several other students held him until police arrived at the Otto Miller building. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson) Police and other emergency workers stand at the scene of a shooting at Seattle Pacific University Thursday, June 5, 2014, in Seattle. A lone gunman armed with a shotgun opened fire in a building on the campus, killing one person before he was subdued by a student as he tried to reload, police said. Police say the student building monitor at Seattle Pacific University disarmed the gunman and several other students held him until police arrived at the Otto Miller building. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
  • Suspect identified as 26-year-old man who was not a student at SPU
  • Police searched a home tied to the shooting suspect, Aaron R. Ybarra, Thursday night
  • Three people shot; one other injured in struggle with the shooter
  • One victim died at Harborview Medical Center
  • Student monitor credited with subduing gunman
  • Classes at SPU have been canceled for Friday, June 6

One person died and two others remain hospitalized after being shot Thursday afternoon at Seattle Pacific University.

A lone gunman was arrested and has been identified by police. His first court appearance at the King County Jail is Friday at 2:30 p.m.

A student building monitor at SPU has been credited by police with disarming the gunman while he reloaded his shotgun. Several other people jumped on top of him and pinned him down until officers arrived, police said.

The gunman opened fire after entering the foyer of Otto Miller Hall, shooting three people. A 19-year-old man died at Harborview Medical Center. Three others were also taken to the hospital. A critically wounded 19-year-old woman was in intensive care late Thursday night after about five hours in surgery, hospital spokeswoman Susan Gregg said. She is now in critical but stable condition.

A 24-year-old man remained satisfactory condition Friday morning at Harborview. A Seattle Fire Department official said the man suffered “pellet type wounds” to his neck and chest.

A 22-year-old man was treated and released, Gregg said. Police said he suffered minor injuries during the struggle with the suspect.

The shooting suspect has been identified by Seattle Police as Aaron R. Ybarra, 26, of Mountlake Terrace. He was not a student at the school. He was booked into the King County Jail late Thursday for investigation of murder.

According to Seattle Police Captain Chris Fowler, the suspect walked into Otto Miller Hall on the small campus on the north side of Seattle’s Queen Anne hill and immediately opened fire with a shotgun.

A student building monitor, identified by fellow students as Jon Meis, was able to pepper spray and subdue the gunman and wrestle him to the ground. Other students then jumped on top of them and they were able to pin the shooter to the ground until police arrived, Fowler said.

Police believe the gunman acted alone. Assistant Chief Paul McDonagh said Thursday that he did not know the gunman’s motive or intended target. Detectives were “working as quickly as we can to figure it out.”

On Thursday night, police officers and detectives searched a home believed to be tied to Ybarra. It was not immediately known what, if anything, they found inside. A phone message left at that house by the Associated Press was not immediately returned.

According to McDonagh, Ybarra was armed with a shotgun, knife, and additional rounds of ammunition.

At the time of the shooting, student Jillian Smith told KIRO Radio she was in a classroom in the two-story Otto Miller Hall, which houses the University’s science, math and engineering departments. She said the school quickly posted a notification on a screen in the classroom about the lockdown following the shooting.

“We heard the police outside the door screaming and yelling,” she said. “We saw blood on the carpet and blood on the walls […] I’m a little shaken up but I feel safe.”

Student Chris Howard was working in a nearby machine shop when one of the victims ran in, blood pouring from his neck. He ran outside and saw another student comforting the female victim and raced to her side.

“I just started being there trying to calm her down, because she was justifiably frantic. It appeared that she had a lot of red blood around her chest and there was some sort of tourniquet around her arm,” he said. “When someone’s in this kind of position you just try and reassure them, ‘No, everything’s going to be alright, you’re going to be fine.’ Just try and stay calm just for her sake.”

Chad, an SPU student who saw police and medics arrive to campus, said, “It’s surprising that this sort of thing happened here. We really want to know who the victims are because we probably know them.”

About 4,270 undergraduate and graduate students attend the private Christian university on the 40-acre campus, located in Seattle’s Queen Anne neighborhood. The school canceled classes and other activities Friday. Women make up about 67 percent the enrollment, and in 2013, about 43 percent of its incoming freshmen were from out-of-state.

The school’s stated mission is to engage the culture and change the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The gun violence follows a spate of recent shootings on or near college campuses.

Seven people were killed and three injured when a 43-year-old former student opened fire at a tiny Christian school, Oikos University, in Oakland, California, in 2012. A gunman killed five people and injured 18 when he opened fire in a Northern Illinois University lecture hall in 2008.

In 2007, 32 people were fatally shot in a dorm and classroom at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia, before the gunman killed himself.

“Once again the epidemic of gun violence has come to Seattle,” said Seattle Mayor Ed Murray in a brief news conference. “We have been here before: Cafe Racer, the shootings on Capitol Hill, and the shooting at the Jewish Federation. Our prayers and our thoughts are with the families and the entire family at Seattle Pacific University.”

As part of its emergency and crisis management plan, the school quickly activated an email and text notification to alert students immediately following the shooting.

Reporting by MyNorthwest.com and KIRO Radio’s Stephanie Klein, Brandi Kruse, Josh Kerns, and the Associated Press is included in this report.

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