Tragedy struck Dawson College in Montreal yesterday, when a 25-year-old gunman opened fire in the school's cafeteria, killing one and injuring at least 19 people before being killed by police.

Students at the school, many of whom were covered in blood, were seen fleeing the building and running through surrounding streets.

The event is the latest reminder to school administrators across the United States and Canada about the risk of school shootings, but the University of Wisconsin Police Department said they are prepared.

"We do have a plan in place," UWPD Lt. Eric Holen said. "We are trained under the rapid deployment mode. We train and practice those techniques."

While UWPD will not disclose specifics of their plan to the public, Holen said the Columbine High School shooting in 1999 prompted departments around the nation to become better prepared for such a crisis.

"If we had an active shooter anywhere on campus, that would warrant the activation of the crisis response plan," he said.

Holen added that UWPD is prepared to handle just about any type of crisis.

"We do have emergency plans to respond to pretty much all conceivable types of emergencies," he said. "We can be involved if there were a severe storm or flooding or any other type of incident on campus."

If UW students were faced with such an emergency, Holen recommended they immediately get themselves to safety — or if they're in a safe area to simply stay there.

The bottom line, Holen concluded, is that UW is ready just in case the inconceivable happens.

"It's something we hope never happens here or anywhere else for that matter," he said. "When something like that happens, if it happens, it's important that we be prepared."

Matt Love, a student at Fairfield University in Connecticut, said his cousin was in attendance at Dawson College yesterday but happened to go home for lunch at the time of the shooting. He spoke to her and said she was recovering from the trauma of the incident.

"She's doing well now," Love told The Badger Herald, adding she's still shaken up over the ordeal. "She was there just before it happened; but luckily, she left."

Following the shooting, police officers searched the area for an additional gunman, but a Montreal Police spokesperson told the Associated Press there was only one assailant.

Initial reports said the gunman had killed himself, but the Montreal Police Director later confirmed that police had killed the suspect.

Students were naturally startled immediately following the incident.

"He … just started shooting up the place," 19-year old Derick Osei, who was on his way to the cafeteria when he saw the gunman, told the AP. "He was hiding behind the vending machines and he came out with a gun and starting pointing and pointed it at me. So I ran up the stairs."

Osei was not injured but did see a girl get shot in the leg.

Police are currently searching the suspect's Montreal apartment.

Dawson College, according to its website, is a CEGEP, which is a French acronym for an intermediate-level institution for Canadian students — equivalent to the 12th grade and college freshmen level in the U.S. Students in Canada typically attend a CEGEP in between high school and a university.

— The Associated Press contributed to this report.