A Keene State College student distraught after wounding a roommate with a rifle early this morning killed himself as the police tried to enter his bedroom, authorities said. The police, prosecutors and Keene State officials said the two off-campus shootings, which started about 12:30 a.m., appeared to be an isolated incident with no obvious motive.

Alcohol might have been involved, so an autopsy and toxicology tests were planned on the body Michael Dyke, 21, a sophomore from Orford, County Attorney Peter Heed said.

He said Dyke “was making some indications of committing suicide” to a third roommate, who was not identified, immediately after Dyke shot Jason Lillibridge, 20, in the buttocks.

Lillibridge, a junior from Norwich, Conn., was in fair condition at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon with a single gunshot wound. He fled the apartment after being shot and called the police from a friend’s apartment nearby.

College President Helen Giles-Gee said authorities knew of no criminal record, mental health problems or other signs of potential trouble with Dyke.

“As far as we’re aware at this time, there was no history of any issues,” she said.

Police Lt. Peter Thomas said the shootings bore no resemblance to those 2½ weeks ago at Virginia Tech.

“This is not an incident that came from, went to, or started with the college,” he said. “I don’t want anyone thinking we’ve got another VT here.”

The unidentified third roommate was present for both shootings and cooperated with the police, Heed said. Authorities said the police were talking to Dyke and trying to get into his room when they heard a shot.

“Words were exchanged; they attempted to enter the room and Mr. Dyke fired one shot and killed himself,” Heed said.

The shootings occurred on the last day of finals and two days before graduation. Many students had already left campus and others were unaware of the shootings.

The college said finals and graduation would be held as scheduled. It sent a campuswide e-mail around 8:30 a.m. and had counselors available throughout the day.

A student who lived downstairs and was friends with the three said Dyke was a management major who “always seemed like he was a happy kid.” The student declined to give his name.

Dyke graduated in 2004 from the public high school in Orford, Rivendell Academy, where flags were flown at half-staff today. Students learned of his death during an assembly at which Principal Bob Sampson told them “we need to hold hands and band together with friends and family in a time of grief.”

According to the school’s yearbook, Dyke played basketball and soccer. A brief biography said “Mike enjoys partying and hanging out with friends. His future plans are going off to college.”

On a separate page in which graduating students wrote mock wills, Dyke wrote: “I, Mike Dyke, do will and bequeath the ability to respect others.”

One of Dyke’s uncles, Jim Dyke of Orford, said Dyke was one of four children. The uncle said as far as he knew, his nephew had no history of mental health problems.

“He was a good kid,” he said.

Two weeks ago, graffiti referring to the Virginia Tech killings the day before caused a scare at Keene State. Authorities investigated and alerted the campus to the threat, scrawled in a bathroom in a college building. Based on what he knew, Heed said there was “absolutely no connection” between the graffiti and today’s shootings.

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