Student upset about grades kills UCLA professor, himself

A UCLA student reportedly upset about his grades fatally shot a mechanical engineering professor in a campus building Wednesday morning before turning the gun on himself.

ADVERTISEMENT

The shooting shortly before 10 a.m. local time brought a massive police response. Hundreds of heavily armed

officers swarmed the sprawling Westwood campus, while thousands of students and staff barricaded themselves in classrooms and offices, some using belts and chairs to secure doors.

Approximately two hours after the shooting was first reported, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck declared the threat over. The chief confirmed at least three shots were fired and said authorities found a gun and what might be a suicide note.

The Associated Press and multiple local outlets identified the victim as William S. Klug, a married father of two young children. 

 gunman may have been a graduate student, while KNX radio, citing a law enforcement source, reported that the gunman was "despondent" about his grades. 

The shooting disrupted the week before final exams at the University of California, Los Angeles, whose 43,000 students make it the largest campus in the University of California system. Classes were canceled Wednesday, but they are expected to resume Thursday. However, UCLA Vice Chancellor and Provost Scott Waugh said engineering classes were cancelled for the rest of the week.

The inital report of the shooting prompted the university to send a so-called "Bruin Alert" to all students and staff notifying them to avoid the area and shelter in place.

Olivia Cabadas, a 22-year-old nursing student, was getting ready to take a quiz in the mathematics building when her classmates began getting cellphone alerts. Through a window, they could see students rushing down the hallway.

An officer yelled that everyone should get out.

"It was just a little surreal — this is actually happening," Cabadas said. "It was chaos."