Police Continue Investigation Into Shooting, Robbery Near OSU

Jennifer Pierce, News 9

STILLWATER, Oklahoma -- Police said they now have more information about what happened when an Oklahoma State University student was shot in the leg and robbed at a home near the campus late Monday night.

According to Stillwater police, officers were called to a shooting at a home at 417 S. Lincoln just south of the OSU campus. There officers found 20-year-old Kasey Cook had been shot in the leg.

Cook told police a man had been hiding in his home and shot him in the leg when he arrived home. Cook said he then tried to chase after the suspect, not knowing he had been shot, to try to regain his backpack. Police said the suspect dropped a laptop, and they recovered the stolen laptop a short distance from Cook's home.

Police said there was no indication the suspect knew the victim, and they are working with witnesses who saw the suspect running away to try to gain more information. 

Cook was transported to Stillwater Medical Center to be treated and was listed in good condition Tuesday afternoon. He is expected to make a full recovery and may be released from the hospital later Tuesday.

There are conflicting reports on whether the OSU campus was ever put on lockdown. Students said they did receive a notification, but OSU police said the campus was never on lockdown.

 "When I heard it happened at 9:05 p.m. that really freaked me out cause that's the exact time I was walking home...so I must have missed him by minutes," said student Kim Duncan. Duncan said she never received an alert voicemail from campus police about the incident.

The incident has many students pushing for the right to defend and protect themselves on campus. Adrienne O'Reilly is the founder of the OSU branch of Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, a group advocating gun rights on campus.

O'Reilly said the shooting makes her fight even more worthwhile.

"Isn't now a good time to want to defend yourself on campus?" O'Reilly asked.

Witnesses told police they saw the black male running from Cook's home in a northbound direction. Witnesses described the man as a black male in his early 20s. They said he is about 6'2" in height and weighed about 230 pounds. The suspect was described as having a short dreadlock or corn-row hair style. He was last seen wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans and a black and green backpack. He has some facial hair under his chin.

Cook's roommate, also an OSU student, said his friend is in good spirits. He said his roommate is lucky; the bullet missed the artery and bone.

This is Cook's first semester at OSU.

Hospital officials said Cook's parents are traveling to Stillwater from Colorado.

The incident is under investigation. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Stillwater police.

More: Search For Suspect Continues After Robbery Near Stillwater's OSU Campus