Seven people are dead and three are injured after a gunman entered a classroom at an independent university in Oakland this morning and opened fire, according to Oakland police.

Some reports indicated the suspect was a student, but the founder of Oikos University, where about 30 shots were fired, described the alleged gunman as a former nursing student.

Police captured the suspect in a shopping mall parking lot in Alameda, Calif.

Oikos University's "vision," as described on its website, is to "educate emerging Christian leaders." The university includes schools of theology, nursing, music and Asian medicine.

Updated at 7:10 p.m. ET:

Police are promising a news conference on the shooting at 6 p.m. California time, 9 p.m. ET, that you can watch live on the KRON television website.

The station is reporting that the suspected gunman in the incident was in class when the incident took place and that he stood up and started shooting.

Updated at 5:51 p.m. ET:

KTVU television spoke with a witness to this morning's shooting, who said the gunman had recently been kicked out of a class at Oikos University.

Student Debra Lee, 25, who is from China, said she was in an ESL class when she heard a series of four or five pops that sounded like firecrackers, KTVU reports.

Her teacher left to see what was going on and then, she said, she heard a voice yell, "Someone has a gun!"

The teacher told the students to run and they left the room and the building, Lee said.

Also, the Associated Press reports local police spokeswoman Cynthia Perkins says the death toll is at seven. Perkins did not release any other details about the victims, but said officials plan a news conference later.

Updated at 5:45 p.m. ET:

AP reports that the death toll in this morning's school shooting in Oakland has risen to seven.

Updated at 4:59 p.m. ET:

Oakland City Council President Larry Reid says he has been told by the police chief that the death toll in this morning's incident has risen to six, the Associated Press is reporting.

One news organization quotes a police source as saying that as many as six may now be dead.

"We believe that six have been pronounced dead at this time," KITV quotes Sgt. Christopher Bolton of the Oakland Police Department as saying.

Updated at 4:51 p.m. ET:

Before being captured, the gunman allegedly walked into a Safeway grocery store and told someone that he'd just shot several people, KTVU reports.

Updated at 3:58 p.m. ET:

Pastor Jong Kim, the founder of Oikos University, says about 30 shots were fired in the incident and he described the suspect as a former nursing student at the school, The Oakland Tribune reports.

He founded the school about 10 years ago, according to the Tribune.

Updated at 3:44 p.m. ET:

Police report that the suspect, a student, was captured in the parking lot of a shopping mall near Alameda, Calif., KTVU reports.

Updated at 3:37 p.m. ET:

Five people have died after a gunman opened fire in a classroom at Oikos University near the Oakland International Airport, according to KTVU television.

Updated at 3:26 p.m ET:

Up to several people may have been killed in the incident, The Oakland Tribune is reporting. The Tribune also reports the suspect is in custody.

Police described the suspect as a student, according to KTVU.

Updated at 3:15 p.m. ET:

A local law enforcement representative held an impromptu press conference on television just now and called the situation "active and fluid." The name of the officer, who appeared on CNN, was not available.

The SWAT team is evacuating the building, she said. "Our priority is evacuations. If anyone needs medical attention, that is a priority."

She added that it is unknown whether the gunman is still inside the building or if he fled before officers arrived. Police are interviewing witnesses to see if anyone knows the suspect.

"We want to make sure we catch him as soon as possible," the spokeswoman said.

Updated at 3:10 p.m. ET:

Police have shut down streets in the area of the shooting, and also locked down an office building, The Oakland Tribune reports.

Along with reports of one person dead and at least four injured people removed from the building and taken away by ambulance, the Tribune reports more people are being triaged outside of the building, which is located in a warehouse area near Oakland International Airport.

Updated at 3:01 p.m. ET:

Police say as many as eight people may have been shot in an incident this morning at Oikos University in Oakland that has left at least one person dead, The Oakland Tribune reports.

Authorities say two people have been shot in the head, several victims have been loaded into ambulances and the deceased victim was lying on the sidewalk covered in tarp, KTVU television station is reporting.

Updated at 2:56 p.m. ET:

At least one person is dead and several have been injured in a shooting at a small independent university in Oakland, according to KTVU television station.

The shooting took place at Oikos University, near Oakland International Airport, after a gunman walked into a classroom and opened fire, KTVU reports.

The Oakland Fire Department received the first call regarding the incident at 10:50 a.m. local time, according to KTVU.

Four wounded people have been brought out of the building, according to The Oakland Tribune.

Police describe the suspect, who may be in the area, as male, Asian, with a heavy build and wearing khaki clothing, the Tribune reports.

Oikos is a Christian medical university, according to the Tribune.

The school's website says its main goal is "to foster spiritual Christian leaders who abide by God's intentions and to expand God's nation through them."

Original post:

A shooting at a religious school in Oakland, Calif., has left several people wounded, the Associated Press reports. The suspect is still on the scene, AP says.