Police said the suspect, Dervish Murad, was arrested by DPS officers at a traffic stop. Police did not say whether the victim and the suspect knew each other.
TUCSON, Ariz. – A University of Arizona professor was shot and killed on campus Wednesday by a former student who was arrested, authorities said.
Arizona State Police stopped Murad Derwish, 46, in a car about 120 miles northwest of the Tucson campus just hours after the shooting, University of Arizona Police Chief Paula Balafas said.
“We are incredibly sorry for the professor’s family, friends and colleagues. “Our hearts just go out to them,” Balafas said during a news conference. “It’s just one of those things that sometimes you can’t even predict. I’m afraid I’m at a loss for words because it’s such a tragic situation.”
The incident began around 2 p.m. when someone in the Harshbarger Building, which houses the Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences, called 9-1-1 and asked police to remove the former student from the building.
Officers were en route when they received reports of a shooting that left one person injured and that the gunman had fled, Balafas said.
Firefighters took the victim to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. No other injuries were reported.
Balafas declined to identify him, but she confirmed he was a hydrology professor. She didn’t know what had happened between Dervish, who was using the gun, and the professor.
The building where the shooting took place is northwest of the university bookstore and student union. Campus alerts told people to stay away from the area, which was closed.
Classes, events and other activities on campus have been canceled for the remainder of the day. Classes will resume Thursday, Balafas said. But the building where the shooting took place may remain closed.
Tucson is where former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords was shot and wounded while meeting with voters outside a supermarket in 2011. Six people were killed and 13 others, including Giffords, were injured.
It was also 20 years ago this month a disaffected nursing student at the University of Arizona shot and killed three nursing professors before taking his own life.
Silent witness:
Arizona’s Silent Witness Program allows people to send in tips and share information about crimes that are happening in their local communities.
The program shares information about unsolved crimes in a variety of ways, including television, radio and social media.
Anyone with information about the crime or who recognizes the suspect described in the program is asked to call 480-948-6377, go to program website online or download the Silent Witness app to give a tip. The identity of each tipper remains anonymous.
Calls to Silent Witness are answered 24/7 by a live person, and tips are accepted at any time. The tips submitted are then sent to the detective(s) working on the specific case.
A reward of up to $1,000 can be awarded to individuals who provide tips that lead to an arrest or indictment in the case.
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https://www.wtol.com/article/news/crime/tucson-university-of-arizona-campus-shooting-police-searching-for-suspect/75-b5d0b82d-8fa5-4c75-8382-b969495c6ac6
