Professor killed in office on Mississippi campus

A professor was killed in his office at Delta State University in Mississippi, forcing terrified students and teachers to hunker down in classrooms as investigators searched for another school employee in connection with the killing, officials said Monday.

Cleveland Police Chief Charles “Buster’’ Bingham said during a news conference that authorities have identified Shannon Lamb as a “person of interest’’ in the shooting of history professor Ethan Schmidt. Lamb is no longer believed to be on the Delta State campus and as of press deadline was still considered at large.

Bingham also said police have information suggesting Lamb may have been involved in another slaying in the south Mississippi city of Gautier, about 300 miles (480 kilometres) away.

Gautier police spokesman Matthew Hoggatt told The Sun Herald (http://bit.ly/1gmKAle) that a woman was found dead in her home, and that Lamb is the suspect in her death.

“We’re working right now under the assumption that both events are related,’’ Hoggatt said. “We hope that they are not. But at this point in time, information indicates that they probably are linked in some way, shape or form.’’

Mississippi Highway Patrol spokesman Johnny Poulos said investigators are searching for a Dodge car that they believe Lamb is driving.

The 3,500-student university in Cleveland, in Mississippi’s Delta region near the Arkansas-Mississippi state line, was first put on lockdown around 10:45 a.m. amid reports of an active shooter. Everyone on campus was told to take shelter, away from windows.

Charlie King was in a history class down the hall from where the shooting occurred.

“A few minutes into the class, we heard these popping noises and we all went completely silent,’’ he said.