Suspect ID’d In Killing Of Delta State Professor, Still At Large

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Mississippi police are looking for Dr. Shannon Lamb, an instructor at Delta State University, as a suspect in the fatal shooting of a professor on his campus office Monday. Lamb is also a suspect in a separate murder investigation in Gautier, Miss.

Lamb had previously been identified as a “person of interest,” but was named a suspect later in the day Monday, according to the Associated Press.

The coroner identified the victim as Ethan Schmidt, an American history professor at Delta State in Cleveland, Miss. On air, CNN reported he had been shot in the head at least once, and that gun casings but no gun were found.

The Clarion-Ledger reported Lamb is still at large, although police do not believe he is still on campus.

Shortly before the active shooter was reported on campus, Monday morning TV news station WLOX reported Lamb, 45, called to report a murder to police in Gautier, Miss. around 10:20 a.m. One woman was shot and killed at a residence there, and a Gautier police spokesman told the station that authorities believe Lamb was romantically involved with the woman.


DSU assistant professor Ethan Schmidt.

Gautier police said in a news conference they believe Lamb could be the suspect who fatally shot Schmidt. Lamb reportedly left his home on Monday and travelled to Delta State driving a green SUV.

Delta State’s website lists Lamb as an instructor in the school’s social science education program.

He was a history professor at Delta State, according to the Associated Press.

The school remained on lockdown Monday afternoon. It is unclear whether anyone else was wounded in the shooting.

The campus’ Twitter account had earlier instructed students and faculty to stay inside and away from windows.

Terese Apel, a Clarion-Ledger journalist, reported the school sent a text alerting students of the situation at 10:35 a.m. Monday.

Delta State is a 4-year public university with about 3,700 students, located two hours north of Jackson, Miss.

This post has been updated.

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