Charles Ventura, and Melanie Eversley

USA TODAY

A psychology professor was fatally stabbed by a student during a dispute at the University of Southern California campus Friday night, authorities said.

In a letter addressed to the school community, USC president C.L. Max Nikias identified the professor killed as Bosco Tjan. Tjan, who joined the school in 2001, taught in the Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences department and served as co-director of Dornsife Cognitive Neuroimaging Center.

“As the Trojan family mourns Professor Tjan’s untimely passing, we will keep his family in our thoughts,” Nikias said in a statement. "Our Department of Public Safety officers responded immediately, and apprehended the suspect on the scene."

Authorities received a call at 7:30 p.m. about a victim with multiple stab wounds in the 3600 block of McClintock Avenue in Los Angeles, LAPD Detective Meghan Aguilar was quoted as telling the Los Angeles Times. The Los Angeles Fire Department later pronounced the victim dead after finding the man at the scene, spokeswoman Margaret Stewart confirmed to reporters.

Authorities claim Tjan was stabbed in the chest. The suspect's name, which was not released, was taken into custody without resistance, according to the Times.

“We want to make clear this was not a random act,” the Times quoted Aguilar as saying. “This victim was targeted by the suspect.”

At about 6:30 p.m. Los Angeles time, the campus tweeted, "Police Activity: Police-related incident in progress at Seeley G Mudd bldg. No danger to USC or the community. Stay away from area."

Friday's incident isn't the first time the Los Angeles college campus has been rocked by a violent incident. In 2015, students mourned the beating death of Xinran Ji, a 24-year-old graduate student found dead after walking home from a study group.

Two years before Ji's death, two other Chinese graduate students were shot and killed just a block from campus.

CollegeNow: USC student dies after assault