On a Monday afternoon, the quiet halls of Minnesota State University, Mankato's Memorial Library were shattered by a tragic event. On February 2, 2015, Timothy Lee Anderson, a 27-year-old male student, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on the second floor of the library. The incident, which occurred around 4:10 p.m., prompted a campus-wide alert and the evacuation of the building.
Authorities confirmed that there was no ongoing threat to the public, and no one else was physically harmed.
Prior to the incident, the Mankato Department of Public Safety had received a report of a man on campus with a gun who was possibly suicidal. Officers who responded to the scene located Timothy in the library. Eyewitnesses reported the tragic event unfolded quickly in the presence of other students. In the aftermath, the university made counseling services available to students and staff affected by the incident. The library's second floor remained closed for a period, while other parts of the building reopened later that evening.
Timothy, a Mankato native, was a junior majoring in philosophy at the university. He was also a decorated veteran of the United States Army, having served from 2006 to 2010, including a deployment to Iraq. His military service earned him several awards and commendations. After his time in the service, he enrolled in college with aspirations of becoming a hospice nurse. He was remembered by his family as a loving father to his two children, a devoted son and brother, and a man who cherished spending time with his friends and family. His interests included video games, astronomy, and cheering for the Minnesota Vikings. His death was a profound loss to his family and the university community. Due to the nature of his death, there were no arrests made or suspects sought by law enforcement.
