Ferris State University students may go to sleep tonight with the Venlo shooting suspect still at large on their campus.
The suspect is reportedly hiding in an apartment at Finch Court, according to Ferris Director of DPS Bruce Borkovich who addressed the media in a 10:30 p.m. press conference Saturday, Feb. 1. Finch Court is a residential housing complex on Ferris’s main campus near West Campus Community Center.
The police began investigating Finch Court in the early hours of Saturday morning after the vehicle used by the suspect to flee the crime scene was seen in the Finch Court parking lot.
Mid-afternoon Saturday, police executed two search warrants for Finch Court residences but did not locate the suspect. Officers went door-to-door and performed additional searches on a volunteer basis.
The lockdown on the area was lifted at 4:30 p.m., according to residents, and law enforcement announced they were expanding the search.
At approximately 6:30 p.m., police agencies, including the Michigan State Police Emergency Team, converged on Finch Court once again. The suspect is believed to be in an apartment not previously searched by authorities.
Since the refocused efforts on Finch Court began, two women have voluntarily vacated the apartment where the suspect is thought to be. One of the women is a current Ferris student while the other is a former Ferris student, according to Borkovich.
The women are being questioned at the Mecosta County Sheriff’s Department. One woman is not cooperating with authorities, according to Borkovich, and may be an accomplice to the shooting suspect.
The Michigan State Police Emergency Team is working to peacefully remove the suspect from the apartment but efforts to establish contact with him have been unsuccessful. Borkovich said the team will enter the apartment by force if necessary.
Police believe they have identified the suspect but are not releasing his name at this time and have no indication that he is a Ferris student.
The surrounding six apartments have been evacuated, and 12 people have been relocated to alternative housing for their safety.