MIDDLETOWN, Conn. -- Police said the suspect in a shooting that killed a Wesleyan University student from Colorado may be targeting the university and the Jewish community.

Officials said they have launched a nationwide manhunt for 29-year-old Stephen Morgan. They don't know if he's still in the Middletown area, and said he has past connections to New York, Colorado and Massachusetts. Morgan is from Boulder, Colo.

Morgan is sought in connection with Wednesday's shooting of Johanna Justin-Jinich, of Tinmath, Colo., in the bookstore where she worked. Middletown Police Chief Lynn Baldoni said investigators uncovered a connection between Justin-Jinich and Morgan, and her shooting was not a random act.

Police with dogs and armed with assault rifles swarmed nearby streets looking for a suspect early Wednesday afternoon and asked Wesleyan students to stay indoors. But after reassuring residents later in the afternoon that there was no threat to the public, police issued new warnings Wednesday night, telling residents and students to stay inside and be "extra vigilant."

They also released a surveillance photo taken inside the bookstore of the gunman they described as armed and dangerous.

Police Lt. Margaret Liseo said evidence uncovered at the scene "heightened our level of concern."

"We just want to get the message out there to be extra vigilant," she said. "This individual is armed and dangerous, and we want to be sure public safety is our top priority."

Police said Morgan may have been staying at a Middlefield motel for a couple of days prior to the crime and among the items found in his room was a journal where he wrote that he hoped to make Wesleyan "the Jewish Columbine."

Justin-Jinich's former stepmother, Karin Radcliffe, said she came from a Jewish family.

"She was just a wonderful kid, very smart, very loving," Radcliffe said.

Victim Filed Harassment Claim Against Suspect

Justin-Jinich was working at the Red and Black Cafe inside Broad Street Books when the gunman shot her several times. She was pronounced dead at a hospital.

A New York City police report shows that Morgan threatened the victim in 2007 when they were both attending New York University. Both participated in a six-week summer course.

Justin-Jinich filed a harassment complaint against him on July 10, 2007, claiming that he was calling her repeatedly and sent her insulting e-mails for at least a week.

In one e-mail, Morgan allegedly said Justin-Jinich was "going to have a lot more problems down the road." According to the report filed with New York police, Justin-Jinich said she felt "scared" and "threatened" by Morgan's e-mails.

Morgan had apparently already left the city at the time the complaint was filed and was not arrested.

Justin-Jinich would have graduated next year from Wesleyan, a private liberal arts school in central Connecticut with about 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students. She is survived by her mother, Ingrid, her father, Daniel, and her sister, Leah, a student at Carleton College in Northfield, Minn.

Suspect's Family Speaks Out

Morgan's brother, Greg, told The Associated Press that his family is "absolutely distraught" and hopes police find his brother. He said the family wants to be sure "no one else gets hurt."

Greg Morgan said family members unsuccessfully tried to contact Stephen. He said he has no idea where his brother is. He said his brother has not shown anti-Semitism in the past.

"My brother was a very sweet person and had a big heart and I hope he's OK," he said.

Diana Morgan, Stephen Morgan's younger sister, offered a statement Thursday afternoon on behalf of her family.

"We're shocked and sickened by the tragedy in Middletown, and our heartfelt condolences go out to the friends and family of the victim," she said.

Diana Morgan said her family is cooperating with the authorities looking for her brother. She pleaded for him to turn himself in.

"Steve, turn yourself in, right now, to any law enforcement agency, wherever you are, to avoid any further bloodshed," she said. "We love you. We will support you in any way, and we don't want anyone to get hurt."

Wesleyan Asks Students To Be Alert

As a result of the threat documented in Morgan's journal, Middletown's only synagogue, Congregation Adath Israel, was closed and Wesleyan students were advised to stay inside. All campus events were canceled on Friday and school faculty members were told not to come to to their offices as the investigation continued.

University officials offered counseling Wednesday night and issued security alerts on its Web site for university students.

"Although he apparently had a direct link to the victim but no other connection to the Wesleyan community, we have now been made aware that he expressed threats in his personal journals toward Wesleyan and/or its Jewish students. All students are urged to remain vigilant and to stay indoors. Additional security has been deployed accordingly," a statement posted on the Wesleyan Web site said.

"This is a devastating loss for Johanna's family, friends, and for the entire Wesleyan Community," the university said in an earlier statement. "Our hearts go out to all those who grieve for Johanna, and we hope all can find comfort in the support of friends, teachers and classmates."

Authorities said there were several witnesses to the shooting, and police found a wig used by the gunman and a weapon at the bookstore. Liseo said authorities haven't confirmed that it was the weapon used in the shooting.

The shooting and manhunt forced police to order hundreds of college students gathered nearby for Wesleyan's annual Spring Fling concerts to seek refuge. The concerts, held annually to allow students to blow off steam before spring semester finals, were canceled Wednesday.

Police officers were at the scene quickly because the station is less than two blocks away and officers were undergoing SWAT team training.

Outside the bookstore, several young women clustered outside the police line, crying. They said they were friends of the victim but would not talk to a reporter.

Other students called the shooting "tragic."

"We went from the height of our mood where everyone was really happy the semester was over to we don't even know what to think," said Darien Combs, a 20-year-old sophomore from Denver. "We're just processing."

Police Talked With Suspect

Sources told Connecticut TV station WFSB that police spoke to Morgan after the shooting but let him go. They said police reported that they didn't realize until they spoke to the victim's family that Morgan was the person for whom they should be looking.

Jawad Anwar, a manager at Executive 2000 Taxi in Cromwell, said a man matching Morgan's description was picked up at the Wesleyan campus Wednesday afternoon by a cab.

"He called at 2:08 and was picked up at 2:30," Anwar said.

The manager said the man, who said his name was Nick, was brought to the New Haven train station.

Sources at Wesleyan told the TV station that Wednesday was Justin-Jinich's day off, but that she had switched her schedule. They said the gunman may have just been waiting for the right time.

The U.S. Marshal's Service was offering a $5,000 reward for any relevant information that leads to the capture or apprehension of Morgan. Wesleyan University was also offering $5,000 for information leading to Morgan's capture.

Community, Campus Express Sorrow

Middletown Mayor Sebastian Giuliano extended the city's thoughts and prayers to Justin-Jinich's mother, father and sister.

"Personally, as a parent of college-aged children, this has to be every parent's worst nightmare," he said. "You send them away to school and all you think about every day is 'Are they OK?' Our full support is with Wesleyan to help ensure the safety of their students."

Students struggled to cope with the campus shooting on Thursday, with those who knew Justin-Jinich describing her as a passionate writer who was well-liked.

Wesleyan student Sydney Howe said Justin-Jinich trained her to work as a server at the bookstore café where Justin-Jinich was shot.

"She was really fun, a really nice person, really welcoming to everyone that came into the cafe," she said. "She was a really amazing person, so nice when I started. She taught me everything about working at the cafe."

Student David Burke said he first met Justin-Jinich freshman year in their dorm.

He said at the time of the shooting, he and Justin-Jinich only lived two doors apart in an off-campus high-rise.

"She was a very quiet girl, kept to herself, did a lot of homework. She went to her dorm, the library and to work," he said.

Wesleyan President Michael Roth extended condolences to Justin-Jinich's family.

"This is a tragic time for them, and for all of us in the Wesleyan community. We are all deeply saddened and shocked by this event," he said.

Box lunches of roasted vegetables, tuna fish or cheese sandwiches were being delivered to students in dorms while Wesleyan's cafeteria remained closed on Thursday.

"We're supposed to do some work, but really I just keep checking my e-mail and checking on friends and letting people from home know that I'm OK," said freshman Christina Yow, of China. "Anything to distract."

Final exams are scheduled to begin at the school next week. Wesleyan officials said no changes had been made to the exam schedule as of Thursday.

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