3 Shot On College Campus; Man Arrested

Officials said three people were shot Thursday afternoon at South Mountain Community College in Phoenix, and two of them were critically injured.

A witness said the shooter had been fighting with another man in a computer building. The gunman seemed to be directing his shots and not firing randomly, said student Yessenia Lara, 18.

"I saw someone get punched and then I heard three shots after that. Everybody basically ducked, and the shooter got away," Lara said, adding that the victims were yelling in pain.

Phoenix police spokesman Ruben Gonzales said a man was taken into custody at a house about three to four miles from the college campus.

Gonzales didn't identify the man, but called him a possible suspect.

Officers said they believe the shooting was gang-related.

A 25-year-old man and a 22-year-old woman were in critical condition, while a 17-year-old boy was in stable condition, said Mark Faulkner, a division chief for the Phoenix Fire Department. No other information on their injuries was available.

Faulkner said the three were taken by firefighters to a county hospital.

One witness told local station KPHO that there was a "scuffle in the hallway." "The guy started randomly shooting. I ducked down," he said.

According to the witness, 30 to 40 people were in the area at the time of the shooting.

"I guess he was just mad at the world," he said.

Officials said the shootings occurred on the second floor of the technical services building in a computer lab.

The campus has been cleared while police investigate. An electronic sign in front of the school said all classes were canceled Thursday.

The college enrolls more than 8,000 students each year. Its student body is made up mainly of people seeking associate degrees and certificates of completion.

Officials reached at the college didn't immediately have any information on the shootings.