Two dead after murder-suicide at UCLA

The campus was declared safe after a massive law enforcement response to the incident

Police on the scene at UCLA, following reports of a shooting on the Westwood campus (Ringo HW Chiu/Associated Press)

Police in Los Angeles said two men were shot dead in an apparent murder-suicide at the UCLA campus, which was locked down for around two hours following the incident on Wednesday morning. The LAPD said the bodies of two male victims had been found in a small office at the university's school of engineering. After a massive law enforcement response by several different agencies including the FBI, the campus was declared safe and the lockdown lifted at around midday local time.

”The important thing for people to take away from this is the campus is now safe,” Police Chief Charlie Beck told reporters at a press conference. Beck said a gun was found at the scene, and that a note had also been recovered, though its contents were unclear. "There is a note," he said. "I don't know if it's a suicide note. I don't know if it's a confession. I don't know what it is."

LAPD officers respond to the fatal shootings at UCLA (Ringo HW Chiu/Associated Press)

Students and staff had received a text alert shortly before 10am saying there had been a shooting on the campus in the city's Westwood neighbourhood, and advising them to go to a secure location. UCLA college newspaper The Daily Bruin reported that the shooter was a white male of around six foot, wearing a black jacket and black trousers, according to police. People were directed to shelter in place as officers searched for the gunman.

Local news station KTLA reported that a SWAT team was seen on campus, as well as several ambulances and fire trucks. The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were also involved in what quickly became a major law enforcement operation.

Helicopter news footage showed a line of students being led from building with their hands over their heads. Many students barricaded themselves in classrooms on campus.