A gunman opened fire Monday night at Michigan State University, killing three people and wounding five more, before fatally shooting himself off campus amid an hourslong manhunt during which frightened students hid in the dark, writes apnews.com.

Police reported the man’s death early Tuesday, four hours after shootings broke out, first at Berkey Hall, an academic building, and then nearby at the MSU Union, a popular hub to eat or study.

“This truly has been a nightmare we’re living tonight”, said Chris Rozman, interim deputy chief of the campus police department.

Hundreds of officers had scoured the East Lansing campus, about 145 km northwest of Detroit, for the suspect, whom police described as a short Black man with red shoes, a jean jacket and ball cap.

Rozman said it was too early to know a motive and whether the man had some type of affiliation with the university. His name was not immediately released.