An officer-involved shooting on the Texas Tech University campus early Tuesday morning left one person dead and two police officers injured.
According to a statement from the Texas Tech Police Department, the incident occurred around 12:45 a.m. near Jones AT&T Stadium, when officers approached a suspicious vehicle during a routine patrol.
The suspect reportedly pulled a gun and opened fire, injuring two officers. Officers returned fire, fatally shooting the suspect, who was pronounced dead at the scene. The individual has not yet been identified.
The two injured officers were transported to University Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. As of Tuesday afternoon, one officer remains hospitalized.
Investigation Underway
The incident is currently under investigation by the Lubbock Metropolitan Special Crimes Unit.
Texas Tech Police Chief Kyle Bonath stated during a press conference that the officers were initially conducting an unrelated traffic stop nearby when they noticed the suspicious vehicle and decided to investigate further.
“The suspect was making some furtive gestures around the vehicle,” Bonath said. “So they went over to investigate… I can’t comment further until the investigation is complete.”
Emergency Alert Not Issued
Unlike previous campus emergencies, Texas Tech’s “Tech Alert” system was not activated during the incident. University President Lawrence Schovanec explained that the decision was based on several factors, including the limited campus population during summer and the rapid resolution of the situation.
“There was no threat to the broader campus community at any time,” Schovanec assured. “Due to the nature and timing of the incident, we issued a broader memo this morning rather than an immediate alert.”
Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
