Purdue University shooting: Victim, suspect are identified

West Lafayette police gather evidence after a shooting about noon Tuesday in the electrical engineering building at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. One person was killed in a classroom, and a suspect surrendered to police within minutes of the attack, officials said.

By Saba Hamedy

Jan. 21, 2014 4:54 PM PT

Purdue University officials announced classes would be canceled through Wednesday after one teacher’s assistant allegedly shot and killed another in the school’s electrical engineering building.

Cody Cousins, 23, was held in the Tippecanoe County Jail without bond on suspicion of homicide in the death of Andrew Boldt, 21, campus Police Chief John Cox said at a news conference Tuesday evening.

Cox told reporters in an earlier news conference that about noon, the gunman walked into a room in the building, which is the home of the electrical engineering department, “with the intention of harming someone,” then walked out after the shooting and gave himself up to a West Lafayette, Ind., police officer. No one else was injured.

Though campus and city police said they served a search warrant at the suspect’s home in West Lafayette, they didn’t discuss details about the search. Cox said police were still investigating the motive behind the shooting.

However, police officials had prior contact with Cousins in an alcohol-related incident, West Lafayette Police Chief Jason Dombkowski said.

Cousins and Boldt were teacher’s assistants for electrical engineering courses, according to the engineering department’s website. Cousins was a T.A. for Introduction to Digital System Design, a course taught by professors David G. Meyer and Cordelia Brown. Boldt was a T.A. for Microprocessor System Design and Interfacing, also taught by Meyer.

The electrical engineering building remained closed but may reopen late Tuesday or Wednesday morning, police said.

University officials said the school would hold a candlelight vigil at 8 p.m. and counselors would be available to talk with students, faculty and other staff members.

According to Boldt’s LinkedIn profile, the Wisconsin native was an undergraduate teaching assistant at Purdue and an Eagle Scout. He was expected to graduate from Purdue this spring.

ALSO:

Remains found in N.Y. river identified as missing boy with autism

Shooting suspect at Philadelphia-area university remains at large

Chicago Archdiocese releases documents of priest abuse complaints saba.hamedy@latimes.com

Twitter: @saba_h