BRIDGEWATER, Va. — A gunman shot and killed two campus officers at a private college Tuesday, prompting a protracted campus lockdown and search before the suspect was apprehended, state police and school officials said.
The lockdown began in the early afternoon when Bridgewater College officials sent out a tweet in the early afternoon warning students and faculty about a shooter on campus.
The college sent out a follow-up tweet about 2 p.m. saying police had apprehended a suspect after searching the campus but that students should continue sheltering in place.
Officers killed in shooting at Bridgewater College in Virginia identified:
— BNO News (@BNONews) February 1, 2022
- Campus Police Officer John Painter
- Campus Safety Officer J.J. Jefferson pic.twitter.com/58ZADpM2YK
A news photographer captured an image of the apparent suspect being arrested, laying face-down on the ground as more than a half-dozen law enforcement officers approached with guns drawn. The college gave the all-clear about 4:30 p.m.
It wasn’t immediately clear what led up to the shooting. No other injuries were reported.
Breaking News: A man fatally shot a police officer and a campus safety officer at Bridgewater College in Virginia. The gunman was captured after a search.https://t.co/fa2mQTnjlU
— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 1, 2022
A statement from school president David W. Bushman identified the two officers as campus police officer John Painter and campus safety officer J.J. Jefferson. He said that the campus was mourning the loss of the well-known and well-loved officers. Saying the pair was known as “the dynamic duo,” the statement noted that Painter was the best man at Jefferson’s wedding this year.
“Two members of the Bridgewater College family were senselessly and violently taken from us. The sadness is palpable. Words are not adequate, not nearly so, to express the grief, sadness, fear and — justifiably — the anger we all feel,” Bushman added.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin ordered flags across the state be flown at half-staff Wednesday to honor the officers.
“My heart is broken tonight by the tragic loss of two officers at Bridgewater College today … The First Lady and I ask Virginians to keep their family, friends, and the Bridgewater community in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time,” he said in a statement.
Bridgewater College is a private liberal arts college located about 125 miles northwest of Richmond. Historically affiliated with the Church of the Brethren, the school had an enrollment of about 1,500 full-time students in the fall of 2021, according to its website.
