By BJ Austin, KERA News & Wire Services
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-926359.mp3
Dallas, TX – Police have identified the man who opened fire on the University of Texas campus before killing himself as a 19-year-old student from Austin. KERA's BJ Austin reports.
Police say the gunman was Colton Tooley. College records indicate Tooley was a sophomore math major. Officials say he was armed with an AK 47.
Cindy Posey with the University says students saw him with the gun and alerted campus and Austin police.
Posey: He was chased into the Perry-Casteneda Library. He ran up to the sixth floor where he shot himself.
Posey says Tooley did fire shots inside the library, but did not shoot any other people. The campus was in lock down for several hours while police searched for a "possible" second suspect. None was found. Police say they believe Tooley acted alone.
UT Gunman Motive Unknown
Those who know the University of Texas student who police say fired shots on campus and then killed himself say he was intelligent and incapable of hurting anyone.
A relative of Tooley's family, who would identify himself only as Marcus, came out of the family's home late Tuesday and said Tooley's parents are distraught over losing their child. He said Tooley was an excellent student who "wouldn't or couldn't hurt a fly."
Tooley's high school principal, Craig Shapiro, said teachers remembered him as being brilliant, meticulous and respectful.
Seminary student in Tyler admits to indecency
A seminary student in Tyler has pleaded guilty to two counts of indecency with a child over an alleged relationship with a 16-year-old girl who was in a church youth group.
Jorge Ivan Sanchez on Monday pleaded guilty to both second-degree felony charges.
Attorneys for Sanchez, who faces up to 20 years in prison, are seeking probation as part of the plea agreement. Sentencing is Oct. 15.
The Tyler Morning Telegraph on Tuesday reported that the Roman Catholic seminary student, who was charged in April, faces deportation to his native Colombia if the plea agreement is accepted.
Sanchez remains in custody. He had been studying at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Tyler, after previous studies in Houston at the University of St. Thomas seminary.
Fort Hood may break record for suicides this year
Fort Hood officials are investigating a rash of suicides in recent days, including the apparent murder-suicide of a soldier and his wife.
The incidents come as the Army post in central Texas reports 14 confirmed soldier suicides so far this year - matching the record number of Fort Hood soldier suicides in 2008. Six more deaths of Fort Hood soldiers this year are suspected to be suicides.
On Sunday, 31-year-old Sgt. Michael Timothy Franklin and his wife, Jessie Ann Franklin, were found shot to death in their Fort Hood home. Army officials are investigating the deaths as a murder-suicide.
Two soldiers died Saturday in unrelated apparent suicides, including a veteran of four tours in Iraq. A fourth soldier was found dead Friday.