Man kills self on UConn Avery Point campus

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GROTON, Conn., July 24 (UPI) -- A man fatally shot himself Tuesday following an overnight standoff with police on the University of Connecticut Avery Point campus in Groton, authorities said.

The incident began Monday night when police found an empty car parked several hours after receiving a report about a possibly suicidal person who might be on the campus, The (New London) Day reported. The gunman was later spotted near the water's edge.

A campus alert sent at 11:35 p.m. Monday said: "UConn Police report that a male is armed with a handgun on the Avery Point Campus, evacuate campus immediately until further notice."

Classes were not in session but a group of high school students was on campus for a summer program, a UConn spokeswoman said. University police moved in to protect the visitors. Avery Point is a commuter branch of the state university and does not have on-campus housing.

Police were able to contact the gunman on his cellphone, but after he threw the phone away, moved in Tuesday morning to try to disarm him and he began pointing the weapon at himself.

The man was not identified but police said he was not a student at the university, The Day reported.