A 26-year-old man opened fire at Seattle Pacific University Thursday in an attack that left one student dead and three others injured.
Police are crediting volunteer student building monitor and electrical engineering student, Jon Meis, with taking down the suspected gunman Aaron R. Ybarra. When Ybarra was reloading his shotgun after wounding three people, Meis doused the gunman with pepper spray and tacked him to the ground, CNN reports.
A video of Meis’ heroic actions can be seen below.
The shooting at the private Christian college came a week before the end of the school year. Following the shooting, the university placed the campus on lockdown for several hours and told students and staff to stay inside, ABC News reports.
A 19-year-old died at a Harborview Medical Center as a result of the shooting. After five hours in surgery, a 20-year-old woman is recovering in intensive care, while a 24-year-old man was hospitalized in satisfactory condition after he suffered pellet-type wounds to his neck and chest.
A 22-year-old man suffered minor injuries during the struggle with the suspect. He was treated and then released from the hospital.
SPU canceled classes and other activities Friday.
Ybarra, who is not a student at the school, is now in custody. Police are still investigating a possible motive. Authorities say he had 50 additional shotguns shells and a hunting knife, reports the Houston Chronicle. The suspect has a long history of mental health issues and told investigators he was fascinated by school shootings, having once visited Columbine High School.
