A history professor was shot to death Monday morning in his office at Delta State University in Cleveland, Miss., and authorities were conducting a manhunt for the alleged killer--an instructor at the school.
The university identified the slain professor at Ethan Schmidt, who has been at Delta State since 2013. HIs faculty profile says he completed his doctorate at the University of Kansas and taught at Texas Tech University in Lubbock for six years before coming to Delta State.
Authorities say Schmidt was shot to death in Jobe Hall on the campus. Police did not disclose any possible motive in the shooting. Following the shooting, students and staff were removed from all academic buildings and taken to the campus sports arena. Classes Monday and Tuesday at Delta State have been cancelled.
The Associated Press reports the police have identified Shannon Lamb as a "person of interest" in the shooting. His faculty profile says he is an instructor of geography and social science education and has worked at Delta State since 2009.
The Biloxi Sun Herald reports that Lamb also is a suspect in the early morning slaying of a woman at a home they shared in Gautier, Miss. Gautier police say Lamb notified authorities by phone of the woman's death. Lamb is believed to have left Gautier Monday in a green SUV, and university police say they have found a vehicle that matches that description.
