Gunmen attacked a university in south central Kenya on Thursday morning, wounding at least seven people, CNN affiliate NTV reported.
The casualties included at least two officers and a student, NTV said.
The gunshots started going off “like fireworks” at Garissa University College around 5 a.m., at the time of morning prayers, witness Milka Ndung’u told the affiliate. She and others escaped to a field, but gunshots followed them, so they continued fleeing.
Augustine Alanga told CNN he woke up to the sound of gunfire and described students running around the dormitories seeking shelter.
It’s not clear how many gunmen were on campus.
“We don’t know how many there were, but there are probably more than 10,” said Robert Alai Onyango, a blogger in Nairobi. “We believe the attackers were wearing something close to military fatigues.”
Onyango said the gunmen appeared to be shooting indiscriminately and “basically from all angles.”
“They surrounded the mosque … we don’t know why they were surrounding the mosque,” Onyango said.
Garissa University College is in an area where Al Shabaab militants have sometimes led raids.
Onyango said there have been fears that the violent extremists would attack a college like Garissa. But so far, no one has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Last month, the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi warned of possible attacks “throughout Kenya in the near-term” following the reported death of a a key al-Shabaab leader, Adan Garaar.
“Although there is no information about a specific location in Kenya for an attack, U.S. citizens are reminded that the potential for terrorism exists,” the warning said.