Students at the University of Central Florida narrowly escaped, what officials say could have been a campus massacre, when the would-be-perpetrator took his own life before playing out the time line of his plan.
Around midnight authorities responded to a 911 call and a fire alarm was set off at the Tower 1 Dormitory on the UCF campus in Orlando. When police arrived they found James Oliver Seevakumaran, 30, of Lake Mary, Florida, dead from an apparent self-inflicted gun-shot wound to the head.
Near the dead student officials found a cache of weapons including a .45 caliber handgun, a .22 caliber assault rifle, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and four improvised explosive devices inside a backpack.
Police also found evidence that Seevakumaran’s laid out a timeline for a killing spree, but no specific people were targeted. It’s speculated that Seevakumaran set off the fire alarm to draw students out into the open so he could carry out his plan. However, something caused the would-be perpetrator to change his mind and take his own life.
According to authorities, Seevakumaran had three roommates, one was absent, one escaped when the fire alarmed was set off and the third locked himself in a bathroom and called 911. Police rescued the roommate from the bathroom, apparently unharmed.
Seevakumaran, a business major, was not enrolled for the current semester and campus authorities were working to remove him from the dormitory.
The dorm, located near the college’s sports arena houses about 500 students. The dormitory and a nearby parking garage were evacuated and morning classes were canceled.
The explosive devices, according the ABC News, were described as “Molotov cocktail type incendiaries believed to be lined with shrapnel.”
The investigation involved the FBI, Orange County Sheriff’s Office and UCF Campus Police.
Those who knew Seevakumaran said he was somewhat anti-social but showed no signs of violent behavior. According to records he had not been involved in anything criminal before except traffic violations and alcohol related charges.
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