An officer at Texas Tech University was shot and killed Monday night. The suspect shot the officer in the head after being detained for possession of drug and drug paraphernalia in his dorm room.
“Earlier this evening, Texas Tech Police made a student welfare check. Upon entering the room, officers found evidence of drugs and drug paraphernalia. Officers brought the suspect to the police station for standard debriefing. During this time, the suspect pulled a gun and shot an officer in the head. The officer is deceased. The suspect fled on foot and is currently still at-large. Texas Tech University campus is on lockdown,” says Chris Cook, of Managing Director Office of Communications and Marketing at the university.
The suspect has now been identified as 19-year-old Hollis Daniels, a freshman at Texas Tech. Officers have identified Daniels as a white male from Seguin, Texas.
At 9:30 pm, Lubbock Police spokeswoman Kasie Whitley confirmed that Daniels had been taken into police custody. The lockdown has since been lifted on the area.
Just over a week ago, Texas Governor Greg Abbott lauded university campuses in the state on the success of their concealed carry laws on Twitter, tweeting out “Concealed carry poses no danger on Texas college campuses. The dire consequences never happened.”
Abbott has been a firm supporter in concealed carry allowances on college campuses, signing the law into place in 2015. The law allowed concealed handguns in college classrooms, buildings and dorms.
The Texas Governor has been facing harsh criticism Monday night in response to his tweet but has yet to comment on its connection to the Texas Tech shooting.
