On Tuesday afternoon, February 1, 2022, Bridgewater College lost two officers in the line of duty. Campus Safety Officer Vashon A. J.J. Jefferson, 48, and Campus Police Officer John Painter were shot and killed while responding to a report of a suspicious man near Memorial Hall. Jefferson, who was a campus safety officer and unarmed, and Painter were described as close friends and colleagues; Painter had been best man at Jefferson’s recent wedding.

The suspect, identified as 27-year-old Alexander Wyatt Campbell of Ashland, Virginia, fled on foot after the shooting and was captured a short time later on an island after wading through a river. He was taken into custody with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound and multiple firearms linked to him were recovered. Campbell was charged with two counts of capital murder, one count of first-degree murder, and a weapons charge and was ordered held without bond. Jefferson was a Marine Corps veteran with a long law enforcement career and was remembered by the college community for his service.

Does anyone have memories of Jefferson or Painter to share, or information that could help clarify the events that day?