University of Idaho students, community members are 'getting out of Dodge' after 4 classmates were killed in a 'targeted attack,' police say

• University of Idaho students are leaving town after the shocking off-campus killings of four classmates.
• Latah County Sheriff's Deputy Scott Mikolajczyk told the Idaho Statesman people were "getting out of Dodge."

Students at the University of Idaho and surrounding community members are leaving the area after four classmates were killed in a "targeted attack" that has sent shockwaves through the small college town, police said.

Many people in the Idaho town of Moscow, where the college is located, are "getting out of Dodge" after the Sunday off-campus massacre, Latah County Sheriff's Deputy Scott Mikolajczyk told the Idaho Statesman in a report published on Wednesday.

"I've been here a long time and stuff like this doesn't happen often in Moscow," the 28-year department veteran said, noting, "It has every once in a while, and I think this is probably one of the worst."

The killer — or killers — remains on the loose and police haven't named any suspects.

Police believe the victims — four friends at the University of Idaho — were killed with an "edged weapon" such as a knife over the weekend inside an off-campus residence less than a mile from the college.

The weapon has not been recovered and autopsies were underway to determine the cause of deaths, cops said.

"Investigators believe this was an isolated, targeted attack and there is no imminent threat to the community at large," the Moscow Police Department said in a statement on Tuesday, acknowledging that there were no suspects in custody.

The victims of the attack were identified as 20-year-old Ethan Chapin of Washington; Madison Mogen, 21, of Idaho; Xana Kernodle, 20, of Arizona; and 21-year-old Kaylee Goncalves of Idaho.

Mikolajczyk told the Statesman that on Monday as he's seen neighbors and students pack up their bags and head out of town ahead of the college's Thanksgiving break.

"I know that violence can happen anywhere, but seeing it in Moscow, which has been such a safe place for several years, is just so shocking," Katelyn Hettinga, a senior at the university, told the news outlet.

Hettinga — who is from Kuna, Idaho — said that many of her professors canceled classes for the rest of the week and that she also plans on leaving town several days before Thanksgiving break.

"A lot of us are feeling a bit insecure in the safety we feel in and around campus," the student said.

Zachary Turpin, an assistant professor of American literature at the University of Idaho, said in a tweet that the community is "still in shock at the murders of 4 of our own."

"Until police release more info or confirm a suspect, I can't in good conscience hold class," Turpin said.

The Moscow Police Department recognized the community's safety concerns on Tuesday, saying, "We hear you, and we understand your fears."

"We want you to know that we, like you, have been devastated and distressed by these young lives that were cut short needlessly," the department said, adding, "We determined early in the investigation that we do not believe there is an ongoing threat for community members."

Meanwhile, authorities said they are re-creating a timeline of the victims' activities Saturday night into Sunday.

"At this time, we have shared every piece of information that we can without compromising the ongoing investigation," said the department.