"This was not a typical active shooting," said Purdue police chief John Cox. "It appears to be an isolated and intentional act and not a random shooting."

Cox said Cousins allegedly fired four or five shots, and then left the building. He surrendered to police just outside the east side of the Electrical Engineering Building. While Cousins was in custody within minutes, an order for the campus community to remain sheltered in place stayed in effect until about 1:15 p.m.

Tim Sands, Purdue's provost, said the decision was made to cancel classes for the remainder of Tuesday (Jan. 21) and Wednesday (Jan. 22) after he consulted with university President Mitch Daniels, who was in Colombia on a university-related trip. Daniels was making arrangements to cut short the trip and return to West Lafayette immediately.

"He (Daniels) is of course stunned and saddened as we all are by this crime," Sands said.

Sands also said that an 8 p.m. candlelight vigil scheduled for Tuesday (Jan. 21) would "be the beginning of the healing process, but it will take a while."

Cox said emergency personnel arrived on the scene within minutes and secured the building. Officers from the Lafayette and West Lafayette police departments and Tippecanoe County Sheriff's Department also responded. Other responders included the West Lafayette and Purdue fire departments and the Tippecanoe County Emergency Ambulance Service.

Cox said the Electrical Engineering Building remains closed as officers, including investigators from the Indiana State Police, aid in assessing the crime scene. The West Lafayette Police Department also executed a search warrant at Cousins' off-campus apartment in the 300 block of W. Stadium Ave.

The shooting, which was initially reported at 12:03 p.m., triggered the university's alert system. That system is composed of multiple layers that include text messages, outdoor sirens, mass email and the university's website.

Editor's note: In a scene undoubtedly repeaated across the state and beyond, parents of Purdue students at the weekly Kiwanis Club meeting in Winamac began receiving text messages from their students reporting they were on "lock down" shortly after 12 noon.

Statement from Purdue University President Mitch Daniels

WEST LAFAYETTE. — The following statement from Purdue University President Mitch Daniels was delivered during a candlelight vigil on Tuesday (Jan. 21) evening for Andrew F. Boldt, 21, the victim of a campus shooting. Daniels, who was in Colombia on a university-related trip when the shooting occurred, was making arrangements to return to campus immediately.

"Violent crime, whenever and wherever it occurs, shocks our conscience and incites our rage. When it happens in our home, to a family member - and as a Boilermaker Andrew Boldt was family to us - those emotions are more powerful still.

"Our prayers tonight are with Andrew and with his parents, who have suffered a loss beyond calculation or consolation. In our grief, we pause to thank this event's organizers, but equally each person in attendance. Through your caring witness, you are demonstrating your love for the Boldts, and for each other in the very special community we call 'Boilermakers.'"

Articles from Purdue University News Service

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