Georgia Police Shooting Latest: 2nd Officer Dies; Suspect Dead In Americus

The second law enforcement officer shot in Southwest Georgia died Thursday evening, according to a statement from Georgia Southewestern State University. Jody Smith had worked as a public safety officer at the school since August 2016.

"We offer our deepest condolences to his family during this very difficult time," a statement from the school said. "Officer Smith was a bright, young and energetic officer, and he will be sorely missed.”

Minguell Kennedy Lembrick — the man who authorities said shot and killed Smith and his partner, 25-year-old Americus Police officer Nicholas Smarr — killed himself Thursday morning after a standoff outside of his Americus home, authorities said at a press conference Thursday afternoon.

The law enforcement officers in the small Georgia town were killed following the shooting at an apartment complex near a state university Wednesday morning. The suspected gunman was identified by authorities as the 32-year-old Lembrick.

Smarr was responding to a domestic dispute at the apartment complex on South Lee Street near the school, and Smith arrived as backup. When they got there, Lembrick opened fire, hitting both officers. Smarr was pronounced dead at the scene, and Smith was life-flighted to a nearby trauma center where he died Thursday.

Smarr and Smith were described as being good friends who had each other's backs, right up until their final moments.

"He heard that call over the radio, and he took it upon himself to respond and back up his friend," Americus Police Chief Mark Scott said of Smith.

Smarr and Smith are the 136th and 137th officers killed in the line of duty across the country this year, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page.

Smarr worked in Americus for a little over a year and had worked for the Telfair and Sumter County Sheriff Departments and the Vienne Police Department.

Smith worked as a deputy sheriff with the Sumner Country Sheriff's Office when he moved to the school to get a college degree while still working in law enforcement. He was known as a friendly person and big fan of the Atlanta Braves.

Their killer turned the gun on himself Thursday afternoon.

As authorities closed in on a home where they believed the suspect was holed up, they heard "what appeared to be a gunshot," Americus Police Chief Mark Scott said. Hostage negotiators tried to make contact, and a SWAT team used a robot to enter the home.

They found Lembrick dead inside the home, suffering from "what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound," Scott said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A tip came in from someone in the community after officials increased the reward to $70,000 for information leading to his arrest.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation had released this wanted poster Thursday morning:

Students at Georgia Southwestern State University were told to shelter in place on Wednesday while a hunt for the shooter was ongoing.

"Students, faculty and staff should remain in their present location until further notice," an alert on the school's website said. "Please secure all doors and windows (any additional actions such as shut down HVAC, turn off lights, move to unobservable part of the room, get on the floor, away from doors) and await further instructions or contact by first responders."

Americus is a town of 17,000 people about two and a half hours south of Atlanta and the birthplace of former president Jimmy Carter. More than 2,500 students attend Georgia Southwestern State University, a state university that offers four-year and master's-level degrees.