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UCF update on dead body and weapons found on campus
No doubt you’ve heard about the dead body and weapons found on campus at UCF today. It forced hundreds to evacuate the campus, and officials say it appears that the former student, James Oliver Seevakumaran, was planing a “larger-scale timeline” of violence on the campus.
Here’s the latest from UCF, posted to the school’s Facebook page about 20 minutes ago.
Update, 5:20 p.m
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• Tower 1, except for the third floor, is now reopened for residents.
• The deceased in today’s incident is James Oliver Seevakumaran (10/14/82). He is from Lake Mary, Fla. and is a graduate of Seminole High School. Seevakumaran was a student in the College of Business Administration enrolled from fall 2010 through fall 2012. He was not enrolled in any courses in spring 2013 and was in the process of being removed from UCF Housing, where he lived on the third floor of Tower 1.
• Seevakumaran was never seen by UCF Counseling and Psychological Services and had no student conduct record.
• Seevakumaran was found in his apartment with a handgun, tactical assault rifle and backpack containing four IEDs. Weapons and ammunition were purchased starting in February.
• UCF Police were assisted in the investigation by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, FBI, ATF and FDLE.
• It appears as if Seevakumaran had a larger-scale timeline of violence planned. No individuals were named specifically, and he was acting alone, according to preliminary investigations.
• “Times like today challenge us individually, as an organization, and as a university community,” said UCF President John C. Hitt. “The first test for all of us is whether we are focused on the safety of our community, and I am confident that UCF has passed that test. The safety and welfare of our students, faculty and staff, visitors, and neighbors is UCF’s highest priority. The test of compassion is also very important, and our prayers go to everyone affected by today’s incident.”
• “It could have been a bad day for everybody here,” said UCF Police Chief Richard Beary. “All things considered, I think we were very blessed at the University of Central Florida.”
Below, a student recounts the evacuation of Tower I. It doesn’t sound like anyone was terribly clear on what was going on until hours after the evacuation.
The school is offering counseling and psychological services to students who need it today.
Counseling and Psychological Services is offering crisis services today in its main office as well as at the Veterans Academic Resource Center. Students can meet individually or in small groups with CAPS clinicians. In-person crisis services are available until 6 p.m. at both locations, and telephone crisis services will be available thereafter until the office opens again at 8 a.m. Tuesday. If the need arises, expanded hours for in-person crisis services will be provided. Students can call CAPS’ main office at 407-823-2811 to schedule an appointment or can walk in to either location for services. For telephone crisis services after 6 p.m., students can call 407-823-2811 and select option 5.
Meanwhile, the Orlando Police Department is reporting that a student at Glenridge Middle School brought two guns to school today – one of them was fully loaded. No report has been issued yet, but today the police sent the following message to the media:
About noon today (3-18-13), the School Resource Officer (SRO) at Glenridge Middle School, 2900 Upper park Rd, received tips that a student had a gun at school. That student was immediately detained, and in his backpack, 2 guns were located. One gun, a Mack10 was fully loaded. The other gun, a .380 handgun (which may not be functional) was also located in the backpack. No students or faculty were endangered. Investigation has determined thus far that the 12 year old, 7th grader, had no intent on harming anyone, and the student has no previous issues or criminal activity.The student is identified as [NAME REDACTED]. He has been taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center on the charge of Possession of a Firearm on School Property.
