A 27-year-old man shooting” target=”_blank”>opened fire< on Tuesday afternoon, killing one crime and one campus safety officer, according to authorities.
The two officers were responding to a report of a suspicious person near Memorial Hall on Bridgewater’s campus when the suspect opened fire, striking and killing both of them.
Alexander Wyatt Campbell fled the scene but was apprehended on an island in the North River about half an hour later.
The liberal arts college, which is home to about 1,500 students, issued a shelter-in-place order that lasted about three hours as police cleared campus buildings.
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Bridgewater College President David Bushman identified the deceased as campus police officer John Painter and safety officer J.J. Jefferson in a letter to the school community.
“These officers were close friends, known to many of us as the ‘dynamic duo,'” Bushman wrote.
“John was J.J.’s best man in his wedding this year. They were beloved by students, faculty and staff. I hurt for their families and loved ones, as I know we all do.”
Campbell, the suspect, also had a non-life-threatening gunshot wound but was treated at a hospital and is now being held at the Rockingham County Jail without bond.
He is facing four felonies, including two counts of capital murder.
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Multiple guns were discovered on Bridgewater’s campus as law enforcement retraced Campbell’s steps.
Alexander Wyatt Campbell, 27, is facing two counts of capital murder and other charges after allegedly shooting and killing a police officer and campus safety officer on Bridgewater College’s campus Tuesday.
(Rockingham County Jail)
Caleb Needle, a senior at Bridgewater College, told WSHV that he was in class when he heard three or four loud bangs outside and everyone dropped to the floor.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin ordered the U.S. and Virginia flags to be flown at half-staff on Wednesday in honor of the two slain officers.
Several other universities around the country are dealing with threats to their campuses this week.
UCLA canceled in-person classes Tuesday after a mass shooting threat. Multiple historically black colleges and universities reported bomb threats on Monday.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
