Australian gunman kills two at university

A man armed with several handguns opened fire at a university in the Australian city of Melbourne today, killing two people and wounding eight others, police said.

The man, in his mid–30s and of Asian appearance, was tackled to the ground by several students after he opened fire in a classroom at Monash University in southeastern Melbourne, police said.

He was later arrested by police.

"He was in the possession of a number of handguns," Police Superintendent Trevor Parks said. "He went into a classroom. It would appear there has been indiscriminate shooting following that."

Police did not say what the motive appeared to be for the killings.

He said two Asian men in their early 20s were killed and five other people were hospitalized, one with serious injuries to the stomach. Another three people were taken to the nearby Monash Medical Center with minor injuries.

Monash University Vice chancellor Peter Darvall praised the actions of the "brave souls" who wrestled the gun off the attacker.

He said students and staff were understandably distressed.

"All I can say is our university is as safe or unsafe as any other part of the community," he said.

Ambulance officials said paramedics were called to the campus just before 11:30 a.m. (0130 GMT).

Paramedics at the scene initially discovered two dead people and two seriously injured when they arrived on the sixth floor of the Menzies Building at the campus, an ambulance spokeswoman said on usual condition of anonymity.

She said the man shot in the stomach was airlifted to a hospital. Another person had been shot in the leg and arm, she added.

The other injured received injuries to the face and upper body, the spokeswoman said.