Ethan Schmidt

Ethan Schmidt, a history professor at Mississippi's Delta State University, was shot and killed today, according to school officials and the county coroner's office.

The campus was put on lockdown at approximately 10:45 a.m. local time after reports of an active shooter were released. Later, all buildings were evacuated.

Schmidt, a professor of American History, was killed in his office in Jobe Hall, an academic building. He had been a professor at Delta State since 2013, previously teaching at Texas Tech. His biography on the university's web site noted that his specialty was "The Atlantic World, with an emphasis on the interactions between Indigenous People and European Colonists." He wrote one book, "The Divided Dominion: Social Conflict and Indian Hatred in Early Virginia," which was published earlier in 2015. Schmidt was an alumnus of Emporia State University and the University of Kansas.

Delta State is located in Cleveland, Mississippi, near the Arkansas border. A public university, it is attended by more than 4,000 students.

University Relations Vice President Michelle Roberts released a statement in which she said, "We are grieving on this campus with this loss, and our condolences are with the family at this time." English professor Don Mitchell remembered his colleague by saying, "He was a great scholar, a great friend and a gentleman in every sense of the word. We are heartbroken, especially for his family and three children.”

Schmidt is survived by his wife and three children.