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Weapons, Explosives Found In Florida Dorm After Student's Death

There's worrisome news from the University of Central Florida in Orlando, where a man who authorities say was a student at the school apparently killed himself Monday — which led to the discovery of "a handgun, an assault weapon and [improvised explosive devices]" in his dorm room, according to school officials.

The student-run Central Florida Future newssite reports that the incident began with a fire alarm that was pulled in the school's Tower I dormitory just after Sunday night turned to Monday morning.

The Orlando Sentinel writes that:

"While UCF police were on the way, officers received a 911 call for a man with a gun in the residence hall. Police found the man dead from what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Authorities have since interviewed several witnesses and they have confirmed the man was a student. It's not clear where his body was found.

"[UCF spokesman Grant] Heston said they have not found any type of a written plan or manifesto in the man's room. He said the man's body, the weapons and the explosive devices were all found in one of the rooms in the man's dorm apartment."

We'll watch how the news from Orlando develops. Along with the Sentinel and Central Florida Future, Orlando's 13News is on the story. The university, which has closed its main campus until at least noon ET, is posting updates on its and Facebook page.

Update at 12:35 p.m. ET. University Reopens; Explosives "Made Safe":

"University officials resumed normal campus operations at noon," the Sentinel writes. And, "the explosives found in a bag near the student 'have been made safe' by law enforcement officers and are in the process of being removed," university spokesman Grant Heston said.

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Mark Memmott is NPR's supervising senior editor for Standards & Practices. In that role, he's a resource for NPR's journalists – helping them raise the right questions as they do their work and uphold the organization's standards.
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