Two officers were shot and killed on the Bridgewater College campus Tuesday afternoon, and a male suspect is in custody.
A Facebook post from State Sen. Emmett Hanger reports that the two officers died from their injuries.
Another Facebook post of a note to the Bridgewater College community from the college’s president, David Bushman, identified the fallen officers as John Painter, a campus police officer, and J.J. Jefferson, a campus safety officer.
The incident began to unfold around 1:20 p.m., according to the initial report from the college.
Bridgewater College Police Department, Town of Bridgewater Police Department, Virginia State Police, Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office, City of Harrisonburg Police, Augusta Sheriff’s Office, Town of Dayton Police Department, FBI, and the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries responded to the scene for the report of an active shooter on the Bridgewater College campus.
The initial report came in that two officers had been shot and the armed suspect had fled the scene. State and local law enforcement immediately responded to the campus and initiated a massive search operation for the suspect.
By 1:55 p.m., the male shooter was taken into police custody.
Additional information will be released as it becomes available.