Fla. Student Planned Massacre Before Committing Suicide
The University of Central Florida is still reeling after the suicide of a young man and the discovery of explosive devices on campus. Police believe that 30-year-old James Oliver Seevakumaran shot himself before police arrived on the scene and before he could ignite the explosives or cause any harm to others.
Seevakumaran's room was filled with hundreds of rounds of ammunition, two guns, a backpack filled with explosives, and a detailed plan to attack fellow students. A roommate saw what was happening; Seevakumaran then pulled a gun on him but did not fire.
Seevakumaran then pulled the fire alarm in order to get students to evacuate the building and potentially fire upon them as they exited or waited in a public space. Police responded within three minutes, which they believe, disrupted Seevakumaran's plans.
He then turned the gun on himself instead of igniting any explosive devices and was pronounced dead at the scene.
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"It could have been a very bad day here for everybody," UCF Police Chief Richard Beary told the Associated Press. "All things considered, I think we were very blessed here at the University of Central Florida. One shooting is bad enough. Multiples would have been unthinkable."
"So anybody armed with this type of weapon and ammunition could have hurt a lot of people here, particularly in a crowded area as people were evacuating. His timeline got off. We think the rapid response of law enforcement may have changed his ability to think quickly on his feet," he continued.
Residents of the campus dorms were kept out of their buildings as police investigated. An explosive device was found in the parking garage across the street from Tower 1, a residence hall. Thankfully no one was injured in the situation except for Seevakumaran, who took his own life.
University spokesman Grant Heston told police that the school was attempting to evict Seevakumaran from the dorm because he had not enrolled for the semester. It's unknown whether that led to his plan for a massacre or whether there were other problems.
"This kid's bringing huge explosives in his room, so yeah, it could have been a lot worse," UCF student Anthony Giamanco told the AP.
