The suspect, a 19-year-old male, was considered “armed and dangerous,” according to the city of Mount Pleasant’s Twitter account.
Videos posted on social media purported to show police at the scene and students and staff under lockdown.
One Twitter user posted video from inside a cafeteria where he and other cafeteria staff were sheltering in place, telling Reuters via Twitter messages that he saw “all the workers yelling and telling everybody in the cafeteria to go to the back”.
“We were told that we are still in lockdown and stay away from windows,” he told Reuters during the temporary lockdown.
State police officials did not immediately respond to calls seeking comment.
The university, located about 125 miles (200 km) northwest of Detroit, had said on Twitter there were reports of shots fired at Campbell Hall.
The incident came about two weeks after 17 students and educators were killed at a Florida high school.
A university police official confirmed the department was monitoring the situation but declined to provide additional details.
The United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said on Twitter it was sending special agents to assist.
Central Michigan University is a four-year, public institution with more than 23,000 students enrolled, according to the college’s website.