A Los Angeles Metro Police officer stands watch on the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) campus after it was placed on lockdown following reports of a shooter.
LOS ANGELES:
A former University of California, Los Angeles, graduate student shot dead a woman at her home in Minnesota before he drove almost 2,000 miles (3,200 km) to his alma mater, killed a professor and took his own life, police said on Thursday.
Mainak Sarkar, 38, had intended to kill a second professor in addition to engineering professor William Klug, 39, at a small office on the campus, prompting a two-hour long lockdown, police said.
Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck told reporters on Thursday that a search of Sarkar's St Paul, Minnesota, home turned up a "kill list" that included the name of the woman found dead nearby, as well as the name of the other UCLA professor, who was not harmed.
"We believe that Sarkar came to the Los Angeles area very recently, within the last couple of days," Beck told reporters at Los Angeles police headquarters. "He went there to kill two faculty from UCLA. He was only able to find one."
Sarkar, 38, had been armed with two 9mm pistols and multiple ammunition clips, Beck said. He killed himself immediately after fatally shooting Klug, Beck said.
Police searched Sarkar's Minnesota home after finding a note at the Los Angeles crime scene asking for someone to check on his cat, Beck said.
"In the search of Sarkar's residence in Minneapolis, a list was located," Beck said. "The list has been described as a kill list, that was the wording that was put on it."
The attack appeared to be provoked by Sarkar's belief that Klug had stolen computer code from him, according to a March blog post that appears to be written by him.
"Your enemy is my enemy. But your friend can do a lot more harm," the post said. "Be careful about whom you trust."
Reuters was not able to confirm the authenticity of the blog.
"UCLA says there is no truth to this," Beck said of the alleged theft of code. "This was a making of his own imagination."
'HARSH LANGUAGE'
Beck said UCLA faculty members were aware that Sarkar, who had graduated in 2013, harboured anger towards them.
"There was some harsh language but certainly nothing that would be considered homicidal," Beck said, referring to social media postings by Sarkar. His motive for killing the woman was unclear, Beck said.
University officials did not respond to requests for comment on Sarkar's claims on Thursday.
Police in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, located north of Minneapolis, said they discovered the woman's body when they went to check on her. Police did not immediately disclose her identity.
Klug was a married father of two children, UCLA said in a statement on Thursday.
"Our entire UCLA family is mourning the loss of Professor Klug, a respected, dedicated and caring faculty member," Gene Block, the university's chancellor, said in a statement.
Reports of shots fired, or even sightings of possible gunman, have sparked heavy police responses and lockdowns at US schools and other places because of the nation's history of mass shootings.
Last October nine people were shot and killed at Umpqua Community College in southwest Oregon. The 2007 attack at Virginia Tech where a gunman shot dead 32 people was the deadliest mass shooting in US history.
Classes resumed at UCLA on Thursday, with the university offering counsellors for students, faculty and staff.
'CAN'T THINK STRAIGHT'
Students took to social media to ask the UCLA to reschedule final exams, saying they were rattled by the incident.
"How the hell am I going to study for finals when this just happened? I can't think straight," Bahjat Alirani, a UCLA bioengineering student said on Twitter.
"Students need time to process today. Hope my colleagues seriously consider postponing finals this week. Let's help everyone heal," Tyrone Howard, a UCLA associate dean and professor of education, said on Twitter.
UCLA, with more than 43,000 students, is one of the more well-regarded schools in the University of California system.
Mainak Sarkar, 38, had intended to kill a second professor in addition to engineering professor William Klug, 39, at a small office on the campus, prompting a two-hour long lockdown, police said.
Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck told reporters on Thursday that a search of Sarkar's St Paul, Minnesota, home turned up a "kill list" that included the name of the woman found dead nearby, as well as the name of the other UCLA professor, who was not harmed.
"We believe that Sarkar came to the Los Angeles area very recently, within the last couple of days," Beck told reporters at Los Angeles police headquarters. "He went there to kill two faculty from UCLA. He was only able to find one."
Sarkar, 38, had been armed with two 9mm pistols and multiple ammunition clips, Beck said. He killed himself immediately after fatally shooting Klug, Beck said.
Police searched Sarkar's Minnesota home after finding a note at the Los Angeles crime scene asking for someone to check on his cat, Beck said.
"In the search of Sarkar's residence in Minneapolis, a list was located," Beck said. "The list has been described as a kill list, that was the wording that was put on it."
The attack appeared to be provoked by Sarkar's belief that Klug had stolen computer code from him, according to a March blog post that appears to be written by him.
"Your enemy is my enemy. But your friend can do a lot more harm," the post said. "Be careful about whom you trust."
Reuters was not able to confirm the authenticity of the blog.
"UCLA says there is no truth to this," Beck said of the alleged theft of code. "This was a making of his own imagination."
'HARSH LANGUAGE'
Beck said UCLA faculty members were aware that Sarkar, who had graduated in 2013, harboured anger towards them.
"There was some harsh language but certainly nothing that would be considered homicidal," Beck said, referring to social media postings by Sarkar. His motive for killing the woman was unclear, Beck said.
University officials did not respond to requests for comment on Sarkar's claims on Thursday.
Police in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, located north of Minneapolis, said they discovered the woman's body when they went to check on her. Police did not immediately disclose her identity.
Klug was a married father of two children, UCLA said in a statement on Thursday.
"Our entire UCLA family is mourning the loss of Professor Klug, a respected, dedicated and caring faculty member," Gene Block, the university's chancellor, said in a statement.
Reports of shots fired, or even sightings of possible gunman, have sparked heavy police responses and lockdowns at US schools and other places because of the nation's history of mass shootings.
Last October nine people were shot and killed at Umpqua Community College in southwest Oregon. The 2007 attack at Virginia Tech where a gunman shot dead 32 people was the deadliest mass shooting in US history.
Classes resumed at UCLA on Thursday, with the university offering counsellors for students, faculty and staff.
'CAN'T THINK STRAIGHT'
Students took to social media to ask the UCLA to reschedule final exams, saying they were rattled by the incident.
"How the hell am I going to study for finals when this just happened? I can't think straight," Bahjat Alirani, a UCLA bioengineering student said on Twitter.
"Students need time to process today. Hope my colleagues seriously consider postponing finals this week. Let's help everyone heal," Tyrone Howard, a UCLA associate dean and professor of education, said on Twitter.
UCLA, with more than 43,000 students, is one of the more well-regarded schools in the University of California system.
© Thomson Reuters 2016
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