FAU Shooting puts campus on lockdown

A Florida Atlantic University student was shot by a police officer. “Zachary Carroll” got  wounds on the chest and hand by gunshot. He is in recovering at Delray Medical Center. FAU Police said that the this incident occurred after a fight inside the Indian River dormitory at the campus moved outside the building, and police were called. When they got there, they found Carroll, 21, on a rampage, vandalizing several cars with his bare hands and punching a stop sign. He even broke the glass front door of the dorm when he stormed outside.

When officers arrived, they had a difficult time calming him down. Eventually, he lunged at a female officer. Fearing for her life, she fired her weapon and he was struck in the chest. A 911 call was placed immediately after the shooting, and officers responding found gun shell casings on the floor, Lowe said. A new alert system at the school was activated, which triggered sirens, mass e-mails and other announcements over a school communication system. Students were told there was an emergency and warned to say indoors.

The officer is now on paid administration leave pending the outcome of the investigation, which is being handled by the Boca Raton Police Department. Carroll grew up in Greenville Florida, outside of Tallahassee, he is currently a junior at FAU. “It seemed to work,” FAU President Frank Brogan said of the alert system, which was installed just 60 days ago.

Brogan said the campus will remain in lockdown until the gunman is eight caught or it’s confirmed that he is no longer on the campus. Final exams were scheduled today, but will be postponed. Graduation is set for Friday and is expected to go on as scheduled.No one was seriously injured in the shooting and police believe this was an isolated incident.

Right now, Florida Atlantic University and Boca Raton police are searching for an unidentified man responsible for discharging the firearm.

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