The Arkansas State shooting suspect, who drove his truck into the middle of campus Thursday loaded with a shotgun, propane, and gasoline, has been arrested and identified, Jonesboro Police confirmed.
Brad Kenneth Bartelt, 47, is facing a preliminary charge of aggravated assault after his actions prompted a
campus lockdown, The Associated Press reported.
Jonesboro Police said they found the suspect inside his truck on the east side of the Reng Student Union holding a shotgun to his head when they
arrived on campus at 1:36 p.m., according to KAIT8.com.
The Jonesboro Sun tweeted that Bartelt had two propane tanks in the back of his truck at the time.
Officials said that they called in a crisis negotiation team that talked with Bartelt and convinced him to surrender. Authorities said that no shots were fired by either Bartelt or the officers in the incident, according to the AP.
Campus went on lockdown and remained closed until Friday. Final exams scheduled for Thursday were rescheduled for Dec. 16, according to KAIT8.com.
Student Jordan Mays told KARK-TV that he and other students were taking a final when they witnessed the incident from their classrooms. He said a classmate in the room yelled out "active shooter" as he and his friend Shane Lopez tried to assist other students.
"We all tried to clear the hallways and get everybody into the classroom," Lopez told the station. "[Bartelt] was acting very hostile. He could start using the shotgun that he had and start shooting. He could ignite the gasoline, which could ignite the propane tank."
Authorities said that Bartelt was eventually taken to the Craighead County Detention Center after surrendering. Jonesboro Police Chief Rick Elliott told the AP that the suspect reportedly complained on Facebook about a Social Security case a day prior to the incident.
It was also revealed that Bartelt once attended classes at Arkansas State's Newport campus some 45 miles away, campus police chief Randy Martin confirmed to the AP.
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