Official: 1 dead, 3 wounded in shooting at Northern Arizona University

One person was killed and three were injured in a shooting on the campus of Northern Arizona University Friday morning

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NBC News – A freshman at Northern Arizona University shot four students during a dispute outside a residence hall early Friday, killing one of them and injuring the others, authorities said.

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The alleged gunman, 18-year-old Steven Jones, was taken into custody by the first police officer who arrived on the scene following the 1:20 a.m. shooting, campus police chief Greg Fowler said. Jones did not resist.

A campus alert system ordered students not to leave their residences, but that lockdown was lifted soon afterward.

The three wounded men were being treated at Flagstaff Medical Center, the school said. Their conditions were not immediately clear.

The attack began as a confrontation between two groups of students that "turned physical" before Jones pulled a gun and opened fire, Fowler told reporters and students at news conference.

The shooting occurred outside the Mountain View Hall dormitory, where most of the school's fraternity members live, school officials said.

Fowler said he did not know whether the gunman or the victims were members of fraternities. But the national executive director of the Delta Chi fraternity confirmed that members were among the victims.

The official, Justin Sherman, said that the shooting "had no ties" to the campus Delta Chi chapter.

It is illegal in Arizona to carry a gun on a university campus, but firearms are permitted to be stored in locked cars there, Fowler said.

Many other details remained unclear, including the nature of the dispute and the identities of the victims.

RIta Cheng, the university's president, said classes would go on as scheduled on Friday. But "this is not going to be a normal day at NAU," Cheng said. "Our hearts are heavy."

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

Statement from Northern Arizona University regarding shooting on campus: 

Four people were shot at the Northern Arizona University campus in Flagstaff, AZ, early Friday. According to the Northern Arizona University Police Department, the four victims included one dead, and three wounded. The shooter is in custody. Campus is not on lockdown.

The three victims are being treated at Flagstaff Medical Center.

The incident took place outside Mountain View Hall on the northeast end of the Flagstaff Campus. The first call of shots fired came in at 1:20 a.m.

NAUPD is working on the investigation with the Flagstaff Police Department at the scene. A press conference will be held at 6 a.m. in the Agassiz room of the High Country Conference Center. 

More details will be released as they are forthcoming.