University of Arkansas Shooting of 2000

On August 28, 2000, James Easton Kelly of Marianna (Lee County), a former doctoral student at the University of Arkansas (UA) in Fayetteville (Washington County), shot and killed Dr. John R. Locke, an associate professor of English at UA, and then turned the gun on himself. It was the first day of UA’s fall semester.

James Easton Kelly, born in Marianna around 1964, was a son of a minister father and teacher mother. As he grew up, he struggled with his racial identity and faced pressure from his father to join him in the ministry. Kelly was a notably tall, thin man, and his peers described him as quiet and reserved. He earned a BA at Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa. He enrolled in the University of Arkansas in the fall of 1990 after earning his MA at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro (Craighead County) the same year. Kelly was a part of the PhD program in English, and in 1996, he moved to the PhD program at UA in comparative literature. The professors in the English department did not believe that Kelly’s work was satisfactory, observing that he had a habit of enrolling in classes only to drop them shortly after. He did this repeatedly for over four years.

John R. Locke served as a French interpreter for the U.S. Army in Europe from 1953 until 1955 and joined UA in 1967 as an English and comparative literature instructor. He was promoted to assistant professor in 1973 and to associate professor in 1981. Along with teaching comparative literature, he taught mythology and, as one former student said in a memorial, “plain old common sense.” He was also an Arthur Murray dance teacher and served as director of the Paris Program and the Lausanne Program at the Academy of International Studies. Faculty and friends held Locke in high regard, saying he was an open-minded man with a wide range of hobbies, from ballroom dancing to tai chi. Locke had planned to retire at the end of the academic year.

On August 18, 2000, a committee of professors conferenced by phone to discuss what actions they should take regarding Kelly. They decided to dismiss Kelly from the degree program but to allow him to continue to take classes as a non-degree student. Kelly was notified of the decision three days later.

On August 28, graduate student Bethany Edstrom heard the first shot in Kimpel Hall and then heard someone saying, “I didn’t do anything,” which seemed to be coming from Locke’s office. Someone called the campus police at 12:14 p.m., and they arrived outside Locke’s office within the minute. They secured the area and evacuated the building. Soon after, the Fayetteville police arrived and began communicating with an individual inside Locke’s office who stated that he was hurt but that they should not try to enter the room. The officers and the individual talked for a few minutes before another gunshot went off, and communication ceased. A SWAT team was alerted and arrived within the hour. When police were finally able to enter the office safely, they saw the bodies of Locke and Kelly with a gun between them.

The coroner’s and lab reports stated that Locke had been shot three times by Kelly with a .38 caliber revolver. Chief Larry Slamons reported that two bullets remained in the revolver and stated that Locke had a gunshot wound through his hand that indicated he was attempting to defend himself. Signs of struggle showed that Locke was fighting back and might have even landed a blow. Final reports concluded that the cause of death for Locke was homicide, and the cause of death for Kelly was suicide.

In Kelly’s rental car, police found a box of ammunition, along with the receipt that traced it to the Walmart close to the university. The time stamp said 11:27 a.m., approximately forty minutes before the incident.

On Kelly’s body, police found a satchel containing letters from the committee and his dismissal letter. The investigators concluded that Kelly blamed Locke for his dismissal, as Locke was the program director and Kelly’s advisor. However, they noted that Locke had abstained from voting on Kelly’s dismissal.

The events of August 28 devastated students, faculty, and the community around the university and established a need for more safety regulations. When asked about the university’s safety, Lieutenant Gary Crain said the University of Arkansas Police Department responded so quickly that two officers were named “minute men.” Although the campus police had already been training for campus shooting threats following the massacre at Columbine High School in Colorado the year prior, the school implemented more policies to increase the university’s safety. The first policy outlined unacceptable behavior for students and prohibited a person from entering an office armed. The second policy focused on how campus police, faculty, and administrators are trained to deal with threats or violence. The third policy focused on aiding students and faculty with their concerns and anxieties after experiencing trauma.

For additional information:
Davis, Andy. “Case Near Bodies Held 90 Bullets, Letters.” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, August 30, 2000, pp. 1A, 8A.

Dungan, Tracie. “UA Tries to Move On after Fatal Shootings.” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, August 30, 2000, p. 8A.

“Grad Student, Professor Fatally Shot at University.” ABC News, August 28, 2000. https://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=95994&page=1 (accessed February 13, 2026).

“UA Professor, Student Killed, Police Say Shooting of 2 Apparent Murder-Suicide.” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, August 29, 2000, pp. 1A, 5A.

Ward, Kate. “Campus Shooting Evokes Memories of Loss, Decade of Change.” Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, August 29, 2010. https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2010/aug/29/campus-shooting-evokes-memories-loss-decade-change/ (accessed February 13, 2026).