SAN JOSE, Calif. -- A shocking shooting at a San Jose State University parking garage that left three people dead is being investigated as a murder-suicide, university police said Wednesday.
In a news release, police said the three people "were known to each other" and that the shooting was not gang related.
Police did not release the identities or genders of the three people.
The shooter opened fire at the campus 10th Street garage Tuesday evening as students attended evening classes. Police were alerted at 8:36 p.m. PDT.
Two people were shot and died at the scene. A third person --- who officials believe was the shooter --- was taken to a local hospital and died there.
"Police were immediately able to ascertain that this incident involved three individuals and only three individuals and campus was not in danger," university spokeswoman Pat Lopes Harris said. "Our police immediately turned to life-saving measures for the three that were involved."
Harris said weapon was recovered.
"That's one indication of why we knew immediately that our people were not at risk nor the general public," she said.
University officials said they could not remember the last time there was a homicide on campus.
Harris said that after the coroner identifies the three people, officials will check student records to determine if any of the three attended SJSU.
The 10th Street garage was open Wednesday morning, which is where Charles Tumbaga, a 32-year-old electrical engineering student, parked about 9 a.m.. While calling the shooting "unfortunate," he said SJSU is "relatively safe."
"I can't imagine what the motive would be for someone to come and kill people here," he said.
Late Tuesday evening, hundreds of onlookers milled around the street as university police investigated the shooting, which happened on the fifth floor of the campus's main garage, a six-level structure that also houses the student services center.
People nearby reported hearing pops that sounded like fireworks. SJSU Police Sgt. John Laws said witnesses who were inside the garage when the shooting started were being interviewed. Campus police are leading the investigation, with help from the San Jose Police Department's homicide unit.
With the garage cordoned off Tuesday night, students were left stranded and searching for answers.
"I'm just surprised it happened here. I never thought it would happen at this school," said Josh Tullo, 30, a senior. He had just finished an evening class and was heading to the garage before he made a detour for dinner instead.
Harris said students were alerted within 30 minutes via a public announcement system that blasted the news in classrooms and offices and several hours later notified students and faculty with a secondary alert. Still, some students complained on Facebook and Twitter that officials took too long to do so.
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