The Mecklenburg County Emergency Services said on Twitter that two people had life-threatening injuries. Another was grazed by a bullet, and a fourth had an injury that was not from a gunshot, the agency said.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said one person was in custody and that it did not believe there were other gunmen.
“I’m horrified to hear about the shooting at UNC Charlotte,” U.S. Rep. Alma Adams, who represents the area, wrote on Twitter. “I encourage everyone to adhere to emergency personnel and stay safe. My office is monitoring the situation and my thoughts are with everyone on campus.”
Just before 6 p.m. Eastern time, the campus’ office of emergency management reported that shots were fired near the Kennedy Building, an administrative building in the middle of campus.
“Run, Hide, Fight,” the office said in a tweet. “Secure yourself immediately.”
Aerial footage from television stations showed multiple police cars and officers on campus. At least one person could be seen being put on a stretcher.
Videos posted on Twitter showed police officers running in one direction while students streamed in the other direction.
It was the final day of classes for the school year; graduation ceremonies are scheduled for early May. Some students were getting ready for the summer break, and some were planning to attend an on-campus concert featuring rapper Waka Flocka Flame.
The episode was one more in a series of deadly shootings that have made headlines across the United States. It happened three days after a gunman opened fire at a synagogue in Poway, California, killing a congregant there.
And it came on the heels of anniversaries of other deadly school shootings; it has been a little more than one year since 17 people were killed in Parkland, Florida, and two decades since 13 were killed at Columbine High School in Colorado.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.