RICHMOND — (CNN) A man pulled a gun and shot a Virginia State Police trooper during a training exercise at a Greyhound bus station in Richmond, Virginia, on Thursday.
Both the trooper and the suspect are dead, according to Virginia State Police.
“We’re not going to get into any details at this point. As you can imagine, this still is in the early stages of the investigation,” said police spokeswoman Corinne Geller.
Here’s a look at what we know about the incident so far:
The victims
The trooper killed has been identified as Chad Dermyer, 37.
Dermyer is survived by his wife and two children, Col. W. Steven Flaherty with the Virginia State Police told reporters.
A native of Michigan, Dermyer had served in the Marine Corps. He’d recently transferred to the counterterrorism and criminal interdiction unit, Flaherty said.
Two other people, civilians, were transported to a hospital for treatment. Their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
The suspect
Authorities say they have determined the identity of the suspect. They are waiting to release it pending notification of his next of kin.
Officials have found no evidence of the suspect having been “wanted,” according to Flaherty.
The motive for the shooting is not yet known.
How the shooting unfolded
Dermyer was among about a dozen or so troopers participating in a specialized training on criminal interdiction practices. They were at the Greyhound station as part of that training, which teaches troopers to look for suspicious activity and engage, Flaherty said.
Dermyer approached the suspect. Shortly after the two started talking, the man pulled a gun and shot the trooper.
Two troopers standing nearby returned fire.
“I had my hand on the door handle when I heard two gunshots go off. I didn’t think they were gunshots, but then there were like five, maybe 10 more after that,” witness Brendan Hamilton told CNN affiliate WWBT.
“I ran out of there. I saw people coming out the front door, the side door, the door to the restaurant, and so I just bailed as fast as I could.”
The suspect was taken to a hospital, where he later died.
Governor Terry McAuliffe released the following statement after it was released that Dermyer had succumbed to his injuries:
“Dorothy and I are heartbroken by the senseless death of Virginia State Trooper Chad Dermyer, who died serving in the line of duty today in Richmond. Like so many brave Virginia men and women, Trooper Dermyer put on a uniform and risked his life every day to keep us safe, first as a U.S. Marine and then as a police officer. He was a husband, a father and a hero who was taken from us too soon.
“This is a loss that impacts us all. It should inspire prayers for the family, friends and fellow troopers who are mourning tonight, and gratitude for those who protect and serve. And as we grieve, we should also reflect, yet again, on how we can come together as a Commonwealth to end the senseless violence that costs the lives of too many mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, sons and daughters.”
The investigation remains ongoing at this time.
The-CNN-Wire ™ & © 2016 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved. (PHOTO: Virginia State Police)
