UCF Shooting: James Seevakaumaran Found Dead in Room Full of Explosives, Guns Details & VIDEO
A former student at the University of Central Florida reportedly had four explosive devices, two guns and several hundred rounds of ammo in his possession prior to taking his own life inside a dorm room he was close to being evicted from, police said on Monday.
According to USA Today, police chief Richard Beary said that the evidence found indicated that the student, James Seevakaumaran, 30, was initially planning to conduct a deadly attack on the UCF campus.
"I think all things considered we were very blessed here at the University of Central Florida," Beary said.
Berry said that the police received a fire alarm call at roughly 12:20 a.m. on Monday. While tending to the call, police also received a 911 call about a man with a gun. When the cops arrived on the scene, they found the victim dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The explosives were spotted inside a bag in the dorm room along with an assault weapon and another gun.
The Orange County bomb squad, police and the FBI removed the devices from Tower 1, a residence hall that housed an estimated 500 students. The students were then forced to evacuate and a nearby parking garage was closed. Both of the locations remained evacuated on Monday afternoon.
Jasmine Derrick, 19, a freshman from Atlanta, said she was in the middle of studying for her chemistry test across from Tower 1 when a police officer told her to evacuate the premises.
"There were police everywhere, students out there half dressed, no shoes, in the cold. It's terrifying it's sad. This is devastating for a parent, to have to bury a child," she told the site.
Simone Hawkins, 19, a freshman psychology major from Chicago wasn't allowed to return to her dorm room after studying on Monday morning because Tower II was also in lockdown mode.
"I feel like they should have given us more information sooner. The only way people found out anything was through social media, which can't always be trusted. I just feel it could have been handled a lot differently," she said.