Marietta deadly shooting prompts shelter-in-place alerts at 2 colleges

A deadly shooting at a Marietta restaurant prompted officials at two local universities to issue shelter-in-place alerts while authorities searched for the gunman, Channel 2 Action News reported.

The “armed intruder” was caught shortly before 4 p.m. after a massive manhunt, authorities said. He was at one point spotted near the Machinist Lodge on the Marietta campus of Kennesaw State University, the university’s emergency management said in a Facebook post.

According to Channel 2, he is the suspect in a deadly shooting at the El Ranchero restaurant on Cobb Parkway. Marietta police told the news station the unidentified man shot and killed a woman while they were eating lunch together.

The victim’s name was not released.

“The suspect fired a handgun inside the restaurant and then fled on foot,” police spokesman Officer Chuck McPhilamy said in an email. “The Marietta KSU campus was notified and they alerted their students and faculty as a precaution. The suspect has been apprehended.”

Students at Kennesaw State University were urged to seek shelter after an “armed intruder” was reported on campus. Conflicting alerts were sent to both the Kennesaw and Marietta campuses, causing confusion and fear among students, according to Channel 2.

“Seek shelter in a secure location until further notice,” officials said in the initial alert sent to the Kennesaw campus. “Lock all doors and windows. Turn off lights and silence cell phones, if possible.”

Shortly after, officials at nearby Life University issued a notice for its students to shelter in place while police pursued a suspect with a similar description.

Kennesaw State issued an all-clear via Twitter about 3:45 p.m., saying there was no threat to either KSU campus. An all-clear from Life University was issued minutes later.