PERM -- At least eight people have been killed when a gunman opened fire at a university in the Russian city of Perm, BBC reported quoting officials.

The assailant walked on to the campus on Monday morning and started shooting.

Students and teachers barricaded themselves inside the university building; others were seen jumping from windows.

It is unclear how many people were injured. Russian police say the attacker has been detained.

Russia's official Investigations Committee said the attacker was a student at the university.

The incident occurred at at Perm State University, located around 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) east of the capital, Moscow.

Videos circulating on social media shows students throwing belongings from windows from buildings on campus before jumping to flee the shooter.