Two campus officers were shot and killed Tuesday during an active shooter situation at Bridgewater College in Virginia, CNN reported Tuesday evening. The victims were identified as officers JJ Jefferson and John Painter.
Virginia State Police identified the suspect as 27-year-old Alexander Wyatt Campbell of Ashland, Virginia, according to the report.
Campbell has been charged with two felony counts of capital murder, one felony count of first-degree murder and one felony charge of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony He is being held without bond at the Rockingham County Jail, Virginia State Police spokesperson Corinne Geller said at a news conference.
College President David Bushman released a statement calling the incident an “unspeakable tragedy.”
“Campus Police Officer John Painter and Campus Safety Officer JJ Jefferson were shot and killed on campus while protecting us,” Bushman wrote in a message on the school’s Facebook page. “These officers were close friends, known to many of us as the ‘dynamic duo.’ John was JJ’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.”
Image credit: AFP.
