The University of Utah community is grieving after an “accomplished” student athlete was shot dead on campus Monday night, the school said.
Lauren McCluskey, of Washington state, was found dead in a parked car on campus, witnesses told police, who have not announced a motive for the killing.
McCluskey, a senior majoring in communication, was on the track and field team, the university said.
The suspected shooter, Melvin Rowland, who killed himself, may have been an ex-boyfriend, authorities said.
Rowland, 37, a registered sex offender, had been seen fleeing the Medical Towers, a dorm near the university’s northeastern edge, around the time of the shooting, authorities said.
Rowland wasn’t a student there, police said.
“They chased him to this location, where they found that he had forced entry into the church,” University of Utah Police Services Lt. Brian Wahlin said. “After clearing the building, they found our suspect deceased in a room in the church, suffering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.”
Rowland, a resident of Salt Lake City, was convicted of attempted forcible sex abuse and enticing a minor over the internet in 2004, court records show.
Classes have been canceled Tuesday “to allow our campus community to grieve the senseless loss of this bright, young woman,” the university said in a statement. “We have made our counseling and support services available to students, staff and faculty.”
McCluskey’s “family is understandably in shock at this news about their daughter,” the university added. “They are heartbroken. We have and continue to offer our full support to them at this terrible time.”
Monday’s tragedy was the second deadly shooting at the university since last year.
Student Austin Boutain, 24, was arrested in October 2017 after he fatally shot ChenWei Guo, a 23-year-old computer science major.
Boutain entered a plea of guilty last month to aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder and aggravated kidnapping, according to Salt Lake Tribune. He agreed to be sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison.
ABC News’ Marilyn Heck contributed to this report.
