Police: Ohio State campus carry activist found shot dead

An Ohio State University student and concealed-carry activist was found fatally shot early Thursday morning, according to police reports.

Tarak Andrew Underiner, 20, was found unresponsive at an off-campus residence in Columbus shortly after midnight with multiple gun shot wounds, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene shortly thereafter.

Underiner was a senior at Ohio State from Cincinnati studying marketing.

There have been no arrests yet in the shooting, a police spokesperson told TheBlaze Thursday afternoon.

"Investigators do not believe this incident was random in nature nor has any connection to the University," the police report stated.

Underiner was a member of the Ohio Students for Concealed Carry student group. He also recently testified at the Ohio Statehouse in support of concealed carry on public college campuses.

"College campuses and the areas surrounding them prevent environments rich with potential victims," Underiner said in December while testifying in support of the Republican-backed House Bill 48. "They're willing to gamble we're unarmed and it pays off."

Michael Newbern, director for the Ohio Students for Concealed Carry, praised Underiner's activism in a statement on Facebook.

"I am deeply saddened by the tragedy that occurred last night near The Ohio State University. Tarak Underiner was both a personal friend of mine and a bright young man with a promising future ahead of him," Newbern said. "His work as a member of Buckeyes for Concealed Carry on Campus to restore the right to self-defense on Ohio's college campuses put him in an elite class obtained by very few others in our movement."

He added that "few facts are known" about what led to Underiner's death, and encouraged others to avoid speculation.

Ohio State said Thursday in a statement:

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Tarak Underiner during this extremely difficult time. We extend our deepest condolences. Counseling and consultation services are available for those in need of support.

His death is the first homicide in Columbus this year.

Ohio State classes are not back in session after the winter break until next week, a University spokesperson confirmed to TheBlaze.