CMU Shooting Suspect Apprehended: Authorities

MOUNT PLEASANT, MI – A 19-year-old sophomore accused in the shooting deaths of his parents Friday morning at Central Michigan University was taken into custody just after midnight, Central Michigan University reported. Accused gunman James Eric Davis Jr. was spotted by an individual on a train passing through the north end of campus in Mount Pleasant. That person reported the sighting, and police responded and took Davis into custody without incident, according to a campus alert.

The CMU Police Department identified the victims in the Friday morning shooting as the parents of the accused gunman, James Eric Davis Sr. and Diva Jeneen Davis.

The manhunt for Davis continued for nearly 16 hours Friday. Earlier in the day, police said the search for him across the CMU campus and in the community would continue through the night. More than 100 officers from multiple police agencies from the FBI, Michigan State Police, CMU campus police and the Mount Pleasant Police, continue to search for the suspect.

Friday evening, the university said all planned campus events and activities were canceled until further notice. That included a scheduled basketball game between CMU and Western Michigan University, which will be rescheduled. That game was to be the last regular season game in the Mid-American Conference. The MAC tournament was to begin on Monday.

The shootings of Davis' parents took place in Campbell Hall, a CMU dormitory, at about 8:30 a.m. Friday. The shooting stemmed from a domestic situation, authorities said. No other people were injured.

According to media reports, Davis' parents had come to the university, where he is listed as a sophomore, and were to pick him up for spring break, The Free Press reported.

Davis graduated from Plainfield Central High School in Plainfield, Illinois, in 2016. His father, James E. Davis, was a police officer in the Chicago suburb of Bellwood.

Police, Mayor Mourn Officer, Wife Slain At CMU

As police searched the campus area for Davis Friday afternoon, officers warned the public, "Please remember, if you see the suspect, do not approach him. He is considered armed and dangerous. Call 911 immediately."

Uniformed police officers escorted students, staff and faculty from the building. Officers also went building to building, assisting those who had taken shelter during throughout the morning and afternoon.

Students, staff and faculty were asked to "please wait for officers before leaving buildings," according to a statement posted to the CMU website. The university said student in residence halls would be allowed to remain there if they wished.

Police also said that Campbell Hall was open except for the fourth floor, where the shooting took place.

While many people took to social media to express worry and concern about reports of another shooting at a school, some identified themselves as friends of the suspected gunman and were in disbelief.

"Don't disrespect my boy James," tweeted @Melvyn_Ivy18. "He's a good student, and an overall good person. You guys clearly don't know anything about him, so keep his name out yo mouth."

Another person, @Deantree3, tweeted, "What’s ironic is that you wanted all the sympathy for your friend and got on anyone who talked down on his name. James has people in his corner who know him and know this situation is more than him being 'a killer'."

CMU Shooting Suspect Went To Plainfield High Schools: Report

Police said that after the shooting, Davis fled the dorm and headed north.

"If you encounter Mr. Davis, consider him armed and dangerous," said CMU Police Lt. Larry Klaus during the press conference Friday afternoon.

Davis was taken to a hospital on Thursday night for possibly a drug-related issue, police said. He was released from the hospital prior to the incident Friday morning.

Multiple students early Friday reported the incident via social media. Students say that the university made an automated call warning students of the incident in Campbell Hall. Students posted to Twitter that they were told to avoid the area.

Photo: A Lansing Forensic Laboratory truck is parked outside of Campbell Hall, where a shooting took place at Central Michigan University on March 2, 2018 in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. Two people were killed in an on-campus shooting at Central Michigan University. The University is on lockdown as the police search for the suspect, a 19-year-old man. (Photo by Rachel Woolf/Getty Images News/Getty Images)