Five people were stabbed on campus at the University of California Merced around 8 a.m. on Wednesday before police shot and killed the suspect.
The Associated Press reported that two victims were taken to the hospital by helicopter, while the other three were treated locally on campus, according to university spokeswoman Lorena Anderson.
All victims were conscious, and the university reported via Twitter that not all five were students.
Carina Corral of KSEE-TV helped break the news of the stabbing spree on Twitter, reporting in specific the campus lockdown, among other details.
The university said in a statement that the lockdown was lifted shortly after police secured the area, and added that a press conference will be held around 4 p.m. local time on Wednesday. The suspect was reportedly killed.
"I was listening to a podcast, and there was a break in talking, and I just hear a gunshot," said student Alex Lopez, who was on his way to class when he realized something was wrong on campus.
"You see this stuff all over the news and stuff and you see it happen to all these other schools," he said, but added that no one ever expects it to happen at their school.