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U.S. NEWS A5
Wednesday 16 September
Police:
Mississippi shooting suspect left note of apology
JEFF AMY Lamb had no criminal re- ended a practice whereby cally join the tenure track
KEVIN McGILL an instructor who earned a and become an assistant
Associated Press cord. doctorate could automati- professor. q
GAUTIER, Mississippi (AP) —
A university instructor told Police have not released An image of Shannon Lamb is displayed in a digital photograph
police he killed his girlfriend released by the Mississippi Department of Public Safety. Lamb
at a home they shared a motive for either shoot- was a suspect in connection with the deaths of 41-year-old
and investigators found a Amy Prentiss and history professor Ethan Schmidt. Lamb killed
note there that said “I am ing. University President Wil- himself as police closed in on him during a manhunt.
so sorry I wish I could take it
back” — but there was no liam LaForge said he didn’t (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
hint he was then headed
to kill a colleague, police know of any conflict be-
said Tuesday.
Shannon Lamb called po- tween Lamb and Schmidt
lice on Monday, telling a
dispatcher he had killed but “obviously there was
41-year-old Amy Prentiss
at the home they shared something in Mr. Lamb’s
along the Gulf coast. In
the call, Lamb refuses to mind.”
give his name but says that
family contact information A book published by
can be found on Prentiss’
phone. The shooting led to Schmidt says in the ac-
an hours-long lockdown at
the college during which knowledgements that
frightened students and
faculty hid in classrooms Schmidt considered him-
and closets as authorities
scoured the campus look- self “so lucky to have such
ing for Lamb.
When officers responded, wonderful people to share
the found the note writ-
ten in all capital letters on my academic life with,” in-
a white, lined notepad,
signed by Lamb: “I loved cluding Lamb.
Amy and she is the only
person who ever loved Lamb had earlier asked
me.”
Police say Lamb attacked for a medical leave of ab-
again about 45 minutes
after that Monday morn- sence, saying he had a
ing emergency call, this
time shooting Delta State health issue of some sort,
University professor Ethan
Schmidt, 39, inside his of- but LaForge gave no fur-
fice.
Schmidt, a history professor, ther information about it.
was shot three times in his
neck, cheek and near the Police eventually cleared
right eye in the doorway of
his office with a book bag the campus after the
on his shoulder, an indica-
tion that he was either en- shooting and authorities
tering or leaving, Bolivar
County Deputy Coroner later found Lamb when a li-
Murray Roark said.
Lamb killed himself hours cense plate reader picked
later as police closed in
on him during a manhunt. up his plate as he crossed a
At some point after shoot-
ings, he told family mem- bridge over the Mississippi
bers he had no intention
of going to jail. Relatives River from Arkansas back
relayed that information to
authorities. Matt Hoggatt, into Mississippi, Cleveland
a spokesman for Gautier
police, said during a news police Chief Charles “Bust-
conference Tuesday that
er” Bingham said.
Lamb killed himself with a
single .380 pistol shot to the
forehead in the backyard
of a home south of his par-
ents’ home on the outskirts
of Greenville, Mississippi,
said Washington County
Coroner Methel Johnson.
He left his car still running in
the driveway. It was not im-
mediately clear why Lamb
went to that home, though
Johnson said she believes
he knew the people who
lived there.
Lamb started working at
the university, which has
3,500 students in a city of
about 12,000, in 2009 and
taught geography and
education classes. He re-
ceived a doctorate in edu-
cation in the spring. He was
teaching two online class-
es this semester, but an
in-person class had been
cancelled, LaForge said.
Lamb’s career prospects
at Delta State may have
taken a turn because of
a policy change. After La-
Forge became president,
he hired a new provost,
Charles McAdams, who
