Early Friday morning, The Goldwater reported on a shooting at Michigan University and the suspected shooter was still on the run. It has now been confirmed that two people have been killed by the suspect. <a href="http://www.thegoldwater.com/news/19731-Breaking-Active-Shooter-at-Central-Michigan-University-Police-Searching-for-Black-Gunman">The active shooter situation and ensuing man hunt</a> is still underway for 19-year-old James Eric Davis of Plainfield.
Authorities have over 100 officers from several agencies hunting for Davis and warned the public he was armed and dangerous. The victims have also been identified as Davis' parents, James Eric Davis Sr. and Diva Jeneen Davis. Davis Sr. The elder Davis was a police officer in west suburban Bellwood and an Illinois National Guard veteran who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Mrs. Davis' Facebook page indicates she was a real estate broker and a breast cancer survivor who was currently working as a flight attendant. Friends of the Davis family called their son James a "respectful" and "a good kid". They also say his parents were "upstanding" and so no obvious signs of trouble from the teenager.
James Davis was a sophomore at Mount Pleasant, Michigan. Deantre DeYoung, 20, met Davis when they were Plainfield South High School freshman and kept in touch. DeYoung said, "You would never expect something like this to come from James." Authorities say the Davises were picking up their son from college for spring break when he shot them inside a residence hall on campus.
<img src="https://media.8ch.net/file_store/ef2c8f490ddd03c2bf130610d9df168e595a372533d175f9e9fb6efe3d49e579.jpg" style="max-height:640px;max-width:360px;">
<span style="margin-top:15px;rgba(42,51,6,0.7);font-size:12px;">Credit: Matthew Dae Smith</span>
Lt. Larry Klaus of the campus police department said James Davis was taken to an area hospital Thursday night by campus police for a drug-related health problem. Authorities would not elaborate further or confirm whether it was an overdose. Campus police released a photo of James Davis during an afternoon news conference.
Klaus said surveillance footage indicates Davis fled on foot after the shooting around 8:30 a.m. at Cambell Hall. They also warned the public not to confront him and they believe he is still in the Michigan area. A longtime friend of Davis Sr. named Jordan Murphy said they worked together as Illinois Army National Guard recruiters after being deployed together in Iraq.
"Junior was a very respectful man, raised by upstanding parents, who would do anything to protect him and his siblings," Murphy said. "This is an incredibly tragic event, and I pray for Eric's other children. This is so incredibly out of character, something went wrong somewhere."
<img src="https://media.8ch.net/file_store/4dd07431c65805c25f43507f129ed0895f4d160b95c8a59da6bbeae371b57eee.jpg" style="max-height:640px;max-width:360px;">
<span style="margin-top:15px;rgba(42,51,6,0.7);font-size:12px;">James Eric Davis Sr. Credit: Bellwood Police Department</span>
Public affairs director of the Illinois National Guard, Lt. Col. Brad Leighton, said Davis Sr. served with the Army National Guard for 24 years before retiring in 2014. A neighbor of the Davis family named Julian Leal said Davis Sr. was a good neighbor, the type who would shovel his neighbor's driveway after a snowstorm.
"We had picnics in our backyard," Leal said. "I just had a beer with him last week. We talked about our kids who are in college. He was proud of his son. We’re all confused and at a loss. We're telling our kids to be strong and pray for them. They wouldn’t want us to fall apart."
A student at Michigan University named Halie Byron, 20 said she locked herself inside her home which is located a short distance from the campus. "It's scary thinking about how easy a shooter can come into a college campus anywhere — a classroom, a library. There's so much easy access," she said.
The Goldwater will continue to follow this breaking story and update as more information becomes available. If you see Davis do not approach and call local authorities immediately.
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