The search for a man accused of killing an officer and critically injuring another one is expected to continue through the night.
GBI officials urged Minquell Kennedy Lembrick, 32, to turn himself in Wednesday after allegedly shooting two officers, killing one, in Americus.
"Enough violence has occurred today. We want you to call 911 and turn yourself in," GBI director Vernon Keenan said at a press conference that lasted roughly one minute.
Lembrick has been on the run since roughly 10 a.m. when Americus officer Nicholas Ryan Smarr, 25, was responding to a domestic call at the Country Club Estates apartments on South Lee Street.
Georgia Southwestern State University police officer Jody Smith was called to assist Smarr.
The three exchanged gunfire, but it is not known if Lembrick was struck, Americus police Chief Mark Scott said.
The two officers were shot and sustained head wounds during the gunfire, Channel 2 Action News reported. Smarr died shortly after. His body will be taken to Macon for an autopsy, GBI officials said .
Smith was flown to a Macon hospital and remained in critical condition.
"It's a tragedy beyond words," Scott said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon.
Lembrick has arrests and charges dating as far back as 2003.
According to the Macon Telegraph, Lembrick was charged for false imprisonment, simple batter and criminal trespassing in Sumter County, according to the Georgia Department of Corrections website.
At the time of the shooting Lembrick was wanted for kidnapping and other charges. Officials were not aware of the warrant until after the shooting, Scott said.
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A $30,000 reward has been offered for the arrest of the suspect, the GBI said. Keenan said about 30 agents and 20 agencies are participating in the manhunt.
"We want him arrested so he can face the courts," Keenan said.
"We'd like to express our deepest sympathies to the families and the friends" of the officers, Scott said.
Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or Crime Stoppers at 229-924-4102.
As a precaution, the Georgia Southwestern State University campus was placed on lockdown for several hours, officials said.
"The campus is safe, and at no time were any students in danger," Georgia Southwestern President Charles Patterson said.
There have been several shootings of law enforcement officers this year, including high-profile cases in Louisiana and Texas.
In Georgia, there have been six officers killed this year.
U.S. Marshal Patrick Carothers was shot and killed last month while serving a fugitive with a warrant in Long County.
Earlier in November, Peach County deputies Patrick Sondron and Daryl Smallwood were shot after responding to a call about an argument between neighbors. Both deputies died.
In August, Eastman police officer Tim Smith was shot and killed while getting out of his patrol car on a "suspicious person" call.
Riverdale police Maj. Greg Barney was killed in February as he assisted police in Clayton County with a drug raid.
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