Officials at Bridgewater College in Bridgewater, Virginia, reported an active shooter on campus Tuesday afternoon, according to local news.
Reports of active shooter on campus. Shelter in place.
— Bridgewater College (@BridgewaterNews) February 1, 2022
This is not a test. More info to follow.
— Bridgewater College (@BridgewaterNews) February 1, 2022
WHSV3 reported that the college ordered those on campus to shelter in place. Virginia State Police, the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office and local police from nearby Harrisonburg were responding to the incident, according to CNN. A spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) told ABC News that the agency was also sending officers to the scene.
Campus Police Officer John Painter and Campus Security Officer JJ Jefferson were shot and killed in the incident, reported CNN. College President David Bushman issued a statement on Facebook, referring to the two as “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,” Bushman continued.
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A suspect was taken into custody at approximately 1:55 p.m., after which Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin tweeted that he had been briefed on the incident.
I have been briefed on the situation at Bridgewater College. The shooter is in custody and state and local police are on the scene. I will continue to monitor the situation in conjunction with law enforcement.
— Governor Glenn Youngkin (@GovernorVA) February 1, 2022
“I have been briefed on the situation at Bridgewater College,” wrote Youngkin. “The shooter is in custody and state and local police are on the scene. I will continue to monitor the situation in conjunction with law enforcement.”
The shooter was later identified as 27-year-old Alexander Wyatt Campbell of Ashland, Virginia.
Throughout the incident, Bridgewater College issued updates over Twitter, advising students to use the alerts as their “only reliable source of information.” The college sent an all clear notification at 4:33 p.m.