Quick thinking from a student at the University of Central Florida helped to prevent another mass murder from occurring on school property. According to Fox News on Tuesday, March 19 a student called 911 to alert them about James Oliver Seevakumaran's attempt to shoot up the college campus.
Campus police officials reported to quickly to the dorm after receiving the report about James Seevakumaran's plot. However, before they were able to make contact with Seevakumaran he shot himself in the head.
According to the UCF Police Chief Richard Beary, Seevakumaran’s roommate is the one who made the 911 call. The caller also had to hide in the bathroom after Seevakumaran pointed a gun at him.
The police officials were able to avoid injuries to students before Seevakumaran shot and killed himself.
Seevakumaran was armed for a battle with two guns, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and his backpack was filled with explosives.
According to Beary, it is possible that Seevakumaran’s schedule was thrown off by the early arrival of local and campus police officials.
"His timeline got off," Beary said. "We think the rapid response of law enforcement may have changed his ability to think quickly on his feet."
In his room, investigators found four makeshift explosive devices in a backpack, a .45-caliber handgun, a .22-caliber tactical rifle, and a couple hundred rounds of ammunition, police said. Beary said it appears his weapons and ammunition purchases began in February locally in Orlando.
Antonio Whitehead, 21, provided some incite as to how events happened at the dorm room. "All of a sudden, I felt the crowd move a little faster. And a police officer with a machine gun or something told everyone to start moving a lot faster," he said.
Detectives also located notes and other information from Seevakumaran that provides insight into his planned mass shooting.
Seavakumaran planned an attack and "laid out a timeline of where he was going to be and what he was going to do," Beary said.
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