re: Active shooter at Delta State

So sad that 3 families of children are now without a parent for no good reason. The guy must have been sick and snapped. I also suspect whatever caused him to snap was a figment of his warped imagination.

I don't know whether his suicide is the best outcome. I'd want to know why and I think I'd want to see him in court.

The following is from the Bolivar Bullet. It's an email newsletter sent out by The Cleveland Current.

Campus Picks Up the Pieces
Shooter takes own life
The campus of Delta State University is relatively quiet this morning, after a much different chaotic scene Monday. The campus was overrun with media, around 200 law enforcement officers and bystanders as the search for a killer was conducted across the campus.

It all ended late last night when Dr. Shannon Lamb, 45, took his life on Miss. Highway 1 near Scott.

Lamb began an unexplained journey which would involve shooting his girlfriend, Amy Prentiss, in Gautier, and then driving the some 300 miles to Cleveland to gun down DSU Professor Ethan Schmidt in his university office a little after 10 a.m.

Schmidt, who was an assistant professor of American history, died of a gunshot wound to his head. It is possible Lamb shot him twice, due to two shell casings found at the scene.

Lamb, who was a professor and had been teaching online courses while living on the coast, called in his girlfriend’s murder to Gautier law enforcement around 10:20 a.m., moments before — or after — he shot Schmidt.

The university was put on lockdown around 10:40 a.m. along with every elementary, middle and high school in the Cleveland School District, as well as two private schools.

From there, Lamb left campus in a black Dodge Avenger, though it was originally thought he was on foot. A 12-hour man hunt ensued.

Every building on campus was meticulously and methodically checked by pockets of law enforcement and K-9 units. After each facility was searched, students, staff and faculty were released, everyone coming out of the buildings with their hands either up in the air or on their heads. This was for their own safety.

Other various locations were checked, including a house on Miss. Highway 1 in Winterville. According to reports from a press conference held this morning at DSU, the Dodge Avenger car tag was recognized as coming over the Mississippi River Bridge in Greenville, which indicates that he had been in Arkansas.

There have been reports that he spent considerable time at a casino, which would account for his whereabouts while hundreds of law enforcement and citizens were on the lookout. It was unfathomable that he was driving around in plain sight with that many people searching for him and the car.

The Greenville Police Department finally spotted his vehicle on Miss. Highway 1 late last night. Lamb gave chase. He eventually stopped however, took off running and then apparently shot himself.

It was reported he told police that he would not be taken alive.

The motive for the three deaths has neither been released by the proper authorities nor has it been said there was a shred of evidence or definitive proof that would explain this horrific crime.

Delta State and many area schools held counseling sessions for those students who may have difficulty processing yesterday’s events.

A candlelight vigil will be held at DSU today at 7 p.m. in honor of Professor Schmidt.

Here's a run down of the details as are known.

Shannon Lamb was an adjunct instructor at Delta State. He lived on the Coast, 300 miles away from DSU. This is not abnormal, especially online courses. But its hardly a full time job.

Dr. Lamb recently received his doctorate from DSU, and felt like it would lead to a tenure-track assistant professor position this fall. That did not materialize and he was asked to continue teaching online classes.

His live-in girlfriend was an outreach minister at a church on the Coast. Money appeared to be tight, and this assistant professorship was going to be their ticket to a better life.

About 6 am on Monday morning, Dr. Lamb shot his live in girlfriend, drove 300 miles to Cleveland and shot Dr. Schmidt who he blamed for him not getting the promotion from adjunct to tenure track.

After eluding police all day, he killed himself as they approached about 10:45 last night.

There was no love triangle. There was no hostage situation. This was a tragedy.

Seven children lost a parent yesterday.

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Dr. Lamb recently received his doctorate from DSU, and felt like it would lead to a tenure-track assistant professor position this fall. That did not materialize and he was asked to continue teaching online classes.

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Don't schools like to hire professors who got their doctorates elsewhere? Maybe he should have applied to other colleges.

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Don't schools like to hire professors who got their doctorates elsewhere? Maybe he should have applied to other colleges.

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Yes. The internal term that we use is "intellectual incest." My undergraduate degree is from Mississippi State, but my graduate work is from LSU. I received two different educations - not from a rigor standpoint, but from a worldview standpoint.

When a university hires an administrator or a faculty member, they typically like to see someone that will bring in different ideas. The victim here went to Emporia State and the University of Kansas, and taught at Texas Tech - those are three completely different schools, and he was a very attractive candidate for a regional public college (Delta State, SELA, McNeese, etc.).

The murderer received all degrees from Delta State. I'm surprised that he would have even been considered at Delta State immediately, but apparently he grew up in the Delta and had no desire to go anywhere else.

Not getting the promotion doesn't really provide motive/reason to shoot the girlfriend. Other than being a wack job.

Why did he kill his wife/girlfriend?

Just listened to Lamb's 911 call to Gautier Police... It is very chilling.