Three men found shot dead in car near Columbia University in New York City

(CBS) NEW YORK - Three men were found shot to death inside a BMW automobile near Columbia University in upper Manhattan Thursday evening. According to CBS New York, the bodies were discovered around 6:30 pm when a passerby noticed the victims slumped inside the car and told a nearby officer.

The men had apparently been shot in the head and neck and the 2012 sedan was soaked in blood.

Killed were 31-year-old Amaury Rodriguez, 26-year-old Herberto Suazo and 25-year-old Patrick Catalan, police told 1010 WINS' Steve Sandberg. The victims were the driver and front passenger and a back seat passenger, police said.

The scene was just across from a Columbia campus building on West 122nd Street near Broadway and in front of the Independent Manhattan School of Music.

Although the victims were not believed to be affiliated with either school, Columbia issued an email alert to the neighborhood.

There were no bullet holes discovered on the outside of the vehicle. Friday morning, police said the shootings occurred inside the car. Investigators also found that the registration and plates on the BMW didn't match, according to police.

Police are also checking surveillance video, trying to see whether the victims were killed elsewhere, then driven to Morningside Heights and abandoned.