PHOENIX — A student was struck by a stray bullet after an off-campus shooting Wednesday night, according to Grand Canyon University officials.
A shooting reportedly occurred near 37th and Vermont avenues, north of Camelback Road, around 6 p.m. Officials say they found evidence of a shooting there, but no victims at the scene. However, two people later arrived at a hospital with gunshot wounds believed to be suffered during the incident. The victims, a man and a teenage girl, suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
GCU officials say two stray bullets from that shooting entered the university campus and one of them struck a student near The Rivers Residence Halls.
The student was taken to the hospital with a non-life threatening injury. GCU officials say he had a successful surgery Thursday afternoon and does not expect to experience any long-term residual effects from the injury.
The second bullet struck one of the residence halls but did not injure any students.
GCU officials say that the campus did not need to go into lockdown after consulting with Phoenix police, though the university does recommend that "students, for their own safety, use good judgment and remain on campus this evening."
What led to the original shooting has not yet been determined.
Neighbors near the area provided ABC15 video of the shooting, and multiple shots can be heard.
"I went back to check my window and I didn't even get a chance cause like just insane amount of rounds going on," said a neighbor who wanted to remain anonymous.
GCU students Chloe Groesbeck and Niah Karnes live in one of the buildings near the scene. They came running down after getting a call from their roommate.
"I think it was a little scary just knowing that a bullet could go through the gates," said Karnes.
"I didn't get the alert," said Groesbeck. "My dad got the alert."
Some students told ABC15 the school should have gone into lockdown.
"I believe that they should have protocol maybe sent out in like a mass email or a text that these things that didn't work out and things that they can work on in the future with shootings and gun violence," said student Erykah Dixon.
Police also say they are working to determine the exact location on campus where the student was struck.
