A Jefferson State Community College campus police officer this morning shot a person who came onto campus armed with a machete.

The shooting happened at the Carson Road campus in Birmingham about 9 a.m. Eyewitness Dontavious Lewis, 21, said he was a passenger on a MAX bus when the suspect got on carrying the machete. He said he spoke with the man, but the man was just talking to himself.

When the bus stopped in the parking lot just past the main entrance of the campus, the suspect exited the bus, still carrying the machete. Within minutes, Lewis said, gunfire erupted. “Danger identified at the Jefferson Campus! Seek immediate shelter in classrooms or offices! Remain inside until all clear is given,” the community college posted on Facebook.

"I guess he was trying to kill folks at the school,'' Lewis said. “He had the machete in his hand.”

Lewis said he heard multiple shots fired. "It was more than 25, more than 30,'' he said.

The wounded suspect collapsed in the parking lot next to the transit bus. "His eyes were open but he was down,'' Lewis said. “It was right in front of me. I feel like it was crazy.”

Police are on the scene of an officer-involved shooting on the Jeff State campus on Carson Road pic.twitter.com/juXXwK3okS — carol robinson (@RobinsonCarol) May 8, 2019

The suspect was treated by medics on the scene and then taken to UAB Hospital’s Trauma Center with potentially life-threatening injuries.

Birmingham police and Jefferson County sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene to assist Jeff State police. The State Bureau of Investigation has taken over as lead agency on the probe, which is standard procedure for officer-involved shootings. SBI agents arrived on the scene about 9:45 a.m.

SBI Lt. Jon Riley said the MAX bus driver had notified campus police of the passenger acting strangely on the bus. Campus Officer Ray Channel said officers were there when the bus pulled into the parking lot and the confrontation with the armed suspect was almost immediate.

An officer is expected to be taken to the hospital with minor injuries sustained in the confrontation with the suspect. Channel said classes are ongoing and will remain on schedule for the rest of the day. The threat, he said, was quickly over. Authorities said the suspect is not believed to have any ties to the school.

The incident is rare for the east Birmingham campus. "It is unusual but we do train for these things,'' Channel said. “We should always be on alert because it is happening so much around the country.”

Jeff State spokesman David Bobo released this statement late Wednesday afternoon: "Jefferson State Community College’s top priority is to provide a safe learning environment for our students and a safe working environment for our employees.

On the morning of May 8, Jefferson State had an officer-involved shooting on our Jefferson Campus. We have a fully-trained police department, who immediately responded to the incident and contained the threat to ensure the safety of our campus. We also successfully implemented our emergency communication and response measures to protect our students and faculty.

We are grateful to the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation, the City of Birmingham and Jefferson County for their prompt assistance. A Jefferson State police officer has been treated and released from a local hospital for minor injuries.

The Alabama State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) is now handling the investigation of this incident. Jefferson State will respect the integrity of the Bureau’s investigation and fully cooperate in every way. Additional details of the incident will be released at the appropriate time by SBI.

Counselors will be available tomorrow on the Jefferson Campus in George Wallace Hall, room 115 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for anyone needing services.

Jefferson State has resumed normal operations and summer classes are ongoing."

This is a developing story and will be updated.