A police officer and an alleged gunman are dead after a shooting on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, VA, according to the campus newspaper The Collegiate Times.

Initial reports indicated the shooting may have been the result of a traffic stop.

“Shortly after 12 p.m. today, a Virginia Tech officer stopped a vehicle on campus during a routine traffic stop in the Coliseum parking lot near McComas hall. During the traffic stop, the officer was shot and killed,” Mark Owczarski, director of news and information at Virginia Tech said in a statement.

Witnesses reported to police that the shooter fled on foot toward the Cage, a parking lot near Duck Pond Drive on campus. At that parking lot, the suspected gunman was found dead. 

The Virginia Tech website put out a description of the suspected gunman as a white male, with gray sweat pants, gray hat, with neon green brim, maroon hoodie and backpack.

The school was under lockdown and warned people to stay indoors and in a secure place. Nearby Montgomery County Schools were also placed on lockdown.

Several law enforcement agencies responded to assist. Virginia State Police have requested to take lead in the investigation.

On April 16, 2007, a student, Seung-Hui Cho, went on a shooting rampage that left 33 dead, including himself. An administrative hearing began on Wednesday in Washington on whether the school should pay $55,000 in fines in connection with the shootings.