COLUMBUS, Ga. – A man seen loading a gun near Columbus State University (CSU) student apartments on Sunday afternoon was fatally shot by campus police.

What exactly happened is not clear, although MyFoxAtlanta is reporting that after police approached the suspect, Zikarious Jaquan Flint, 20, he ran away. After a brief chase, authorities say he turned towards them and opened fire. Officers and the suspect exchanged fire, and the suspect was struck.

Flint was then transported to a local hospital, where he died.

Witnesses say, however, that Flint was running away when he was shot, reports the Ledger-Enquirer.

An attorney for the family says Flint, who isn’t a CSU student, was visiting a group of friends who were CSU students.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) has been called in to investigate the officer-involved shooting.

According to a statement released by CSU: “A CSU Police dispatcher got a call reporting the presence of the person with a gun in Courtyard 1 student apartments at 2:35 p.m. Officers were dispatched immediately, arriving and confronting the suspect at 2:38 p.m. After a brief foot chase, the suspect turned to face officers, and shots were fired. The suspect was transported by ambulance to The Medical Center at 3:15 p.m.”

“This is a terrible tragedy,” CSU President Tim Mescon said. “We will cooperate fully with the investigation by GBI. Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved in this, as well as their families.”

CSU will make counselors available to students.

The main campus complex where the shooting occurred, Courtyard 1, is the university’s largest student housing area with 444 students living there.

 

 

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