Somalian Refugee Uses Knife, Car to Attack People at OSU
Ohio State University President Dr. Michael Drake told reporters the attack that left at least 9 people injured and one suspect dead was carried out with a car and a knife.
NBC News reports that the dead suspect is believed to be a student at the university, a Somali refugee who lived near campus and was a legal permanent U.S. resident.
UPDATE: A 20-year-old Somali man is the suspect in the Ohio State University attack https://t.co/G7ANHT8lbn pic.twitter.com/kdOzF7aWiV
— CBS News (@CBSNews) November 28, 2016
When asked about possibility of terrorism, Columbus Police Chief Kimberley Jacobs said, “We have to consider that that’s a possibility.”
The attack occurred around 9:52 a.m. local time outside Watts Hall and was initially reported as an “active shooter” situation. But as eye-witness reports poured in and the investigators examined the scene, it became evident that weapons other than firearms were involved.
A vehicle ran into a group of pedestrians–people gathered on a street corner–resulting in several injuries. The driver then got out and used a weapon to cut several people, who were then transported to local hospitals.
Drake praised OSU police from keeping “something that was very unfortunate from becoming something much worse” and he expressed hope for a full recovery for all victims.
OSU Director of Public Safety Monica Moll also spoke at the press conference. She said that it was around 9:52 a.m. when “the emergency dispatch center got a report that a vehicle had struck pedestrians. At 9:53 a.m. an OSU PD officer called out on the radio that shoots were fired.” Those shots were fired by the officer, who shot and killed the suspect.”
The suspect “cut multiple individuals” prior to being killed. A butcher knife was reportedly recovered from the scene.
