(CNN) A knife-wielding man attacked several people at Ohio State University on Monday, sending eight people to hospitals and prompting a campus-wide lockdown, authorities said.
The suspect is dead, and authorities on the ground believe the threat is contained, said a law enforcement official briefed on the latest information.
The eight people hospitalized have non-life-threatening injuries, according to officials at three local hospitals.
The suspect in the attack ran into a group of pedestrians on a street corner with his vehicle before using a weapon to cut several people, OSU President Dr. Michael Drake said. The assailant used a butcher knife, OSU Police Chief Craig Stone said.
The university released a statement after the attack.
“A suspect has been shot and reported deceased,” the university said. “Victim injuries include stab wounds, injury by motor vehicle and other injuries that are being evaluated.”
“Scene is now secure,” the department tweeted. But classes are canceled for the rest of the day.
As the chaos unfolded, university officials reported an active shooter incident at Watts Hall. It’s possible the gunshots heard were those of police trying to stop the attacker, a federal law enforcement official said. Investigators believe the assailant also used a car at the beginning of the attack, and the entire attack happened outside.
OSU student Jacob Bower, 20, said he saw a man pull a knife outside between the Koffolt Laboratories and Watts Hall.
“He pulled a large knife and started chasing people around, trying to attack them,” Bower told CNN. He said it appeared to be a large kitchen knife. “Luckily there were so many people, he couldn’t focus on one target. I didn’t see anyone get stabbed, but I saw the police officer take down the stabber. He waited till everyone was clear, and the stabber clearly wasn’t stopping. (It) took three shots to take him down. (The) stabber had a crazy look in his eyes.”
When asked if the suspect yelled or said anything during the attack, Bower told CNN: “He was completely silent. Which was very creepy. Not even when he was shot (by police). The cop that subdued the guy with the knife saved so many lives today.”
The motive for the attack was not immediately known.
