A former student at a Florida university was stockpiling weapons and explosives with an eye to an on-campus attack when he killed himself, according to local authorities.
Materials found Monday in the University of Central Florida dorm room of 30-year-old James Oliver Seevakumaran – who took his own life minutes after being reported for pulling a gun on a fellow student – point to plans of an attack on campus, the Orlando school's police chief Richard Beary told the press.
Seevakumaran was found dead in his on-campus residence, apparently killed by a self-inflicted gunshot wound, law enforcement officials said.
Campus authorities evacuated the building's hundreds of residents immediately following the incident. Students initially believed they were conducting a fire drill, local WESH reports, but were later notified of the real reason for their evacuation through a series of text message alerts.
Investigators brought in to look into Seevakumaran's death discovered "assault weapon and what appeared to be improvised explosive devices," along with a handgun, in a bag in his living quarters, UCF Associate Vice President Grant Heston said.
"It could have been a very bad day," Beary said. "Let's face it, one shooting is bad enough ... anyone with this type of weapon and this amount of ammunition could have hurt a lot of people," he added, noting that due to the objects found in Seevakumaran's room, it is likely that he was planning a major assault on campus.
Seevakumaran had compiled an attack timeline, Beary said, but
changed his mind after being confronted with an impending police
response.