On February 1, 2022, Bridgewater College lost 55-year-old Campus Police Officer John Elwood Painter when he and a colleague, Campus Safety Officer J.J. Jefferson, confronted a suspicious man near Memorial Hall. After a brief interaction the man opened fire, fatally wounding both officers and prompting an immediate campus lockdown and a multi-agency manhunt.

The shooter was identified as 27-year-old Alexander Wyatt Campbell, a former student. He was found off-campus wading through the North River onto an island and taken into custody. Investigators later said Campbell had been living illegally in Memorial Hall’s basement for several days and recovered multiple firearms linked to him on and off campus. His mother described her son as mentally ill, and a mental health evaluation was requested during early court proceedings.

Officer Painter was a long-time member of the campus police and known to the community. Does anyone who knew him or who had contact with Memorial Hall around that time have information that could add context to what happened?