Officials said a suspect gunman was in custody after two campus officers were fatally shot on Tuesday at a private liberal arts institution in Virginia.
Bridgewater College President David Bushman named the deaths as police officer John Painter and safety officer J.J. Jefferson in an email to students, teachers, and staff.
"These cops were good friends, dubbed the 'dynamic pair' by many of us," Bushman added. "This year, John served as J.J.'s best man at his wedding. Students, educators, and staff all adored them. As I'm sure we all do, I grieve for their families and loved ones."
He went on to say, "This is a sad and tragic day for Bridgewater College."
At 1:20 p.m., the school, located approximately 140 miles west of Washington, D.C., issued a shelter in place order after "two police were shot and the armed suspect left the area," according to Bridgewater College spokeswoman Logan C. Bogert. Three hours later, the school was granted the green light.
Bogert and the Virginia State Police said the male gunman, who has not been named, was apprehended at 1:55 p.m. following a "major search."
The FBI, Virginia State Police, and university police were among the nine organizations that responded.
Bridgewater College issued the warning in a series of tweets soon before 1:30 p.m.
"There have been reports of an active shooter on campus. "Find a safe haven." "This is not a test," the school tweeted a minute later.
The institution announced shortly after 2 p.m. that a man had been arrested, but they continued to advise people to hide in place.
The lockdown ended at 4:33 p.m., after roughly three hours, according to Bridgewater College.
"This is an all-clear signal." The school tweeted that "further information will be sent through campus email."
Gov. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia stated that he has been briefed on the matter.
Bridgwater College has around 1,800 undergraduate students, according to NBC station WAVY in Portsmouth, Virginia.
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