A former student who was not authorized to be on school is suspected of breaking into the science building and opening fire on a University of Arizona professor on campus on Wednesday.
The director of the UA’s Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences, Thomas Meixner, 52, was well-regarded for his research on the water quality of arid river systems.
Following his arrest shortly after 5 o’clock, the University of Arizona Police held a press conference to identify the alleged shooter as Murad Dervish, 46.
The victim was a professor in the Department of Hydrology, according to UA Police Chief Paula Balafas, who declined to provide his name.
The Tucson Sentinel was the first to identify his identity, and since then, the instructor has received a deluge of accolades.
According to police, the campus shooting took place at the John W. Harshbarger Building, which houses the Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences, just after 2 p.m.
According to Balafas, “Someone recognized the student and knew he was not permitted into the premises.”
The reason Dervish was denied access to the structure is unknown.
For more than an hour, the university was on lockdown as police looked for the suspect, who was found off-campus.
I’m not sure what the suspect’s problem in this situation was, but if you see something, don’t simply say something; do something about it. Please get in touch if you know someone who is experiencing mental health problems or anger problems, Balafas said.
According to Balafas, a call to campus police was first made by someone inside the facility who knew the former student was not authorized to be there.
They asked that the suspect be led away. Another caller quickly reported a gunfire inside the building.
For more than an hour, the campus was kept secure, and students, faculty, and staff were instructed to stay inside as police looked for the shooter.
Police had identified the culprit and were looking for him, but he had left the university. The man was apprehended during a traffic check just after five o’clock.
A guy is carried out on a stretcher and into an ambulance in a social media video that captures the scene outside the structure.
After being transported to Banner-University Medical Center, the victim was eventually declared dead.