Alleged shooter identified as Ross Ashley

The alleged shooter responsible for the death of Virginia Tech Police officer Deriek Crouse, as well as his own, has been identified as Ross Truett Ashley, according to Virginia State Police. 

Ballistics evidence testing showed that the two shootings that occurred yesterday on the Tech campus are linked, with both individuals being shot with the same weapon. 

Related: Alleged shooter Ross Ashley 'never seemed different'

Ashley, 22, is from Partlow, Va. in Spotsylvania County, but he has a local residence on the 1000 Block of East Main Street in Radford, Va. and was enrolled as a part-time student at Radford University majoring in business management.

See a Google map showing the path of Ashley throughout the past three days at the end of the story. 

At some point, Ashley was also enrolled at the University of Virginia's College at Wise, where he served on the SGA in 2007. He was also on the dean's list in spring 2008. 

At this time, there is no connection or prior contact between Ashley and Crouse. State police are still working toward establishing a motive in the murder. 

Ashley is also allegedly responsible for the hijacking of a white 2011 Mercedes SUV from a real estate office that occurred in Radford on Wednesday, Dec. 7, according to State police. The SUV was stolen at gunpoint at about 11:25 a.m. Wednesday from Gilbert Real Estate on the 600 Block of Calhoun Street. 

The suspect entered the office armed with a handgun and demanded the keys to an employee's vehicle. No one was injured in the incident, however, he successfully got away with the vehicle. The SUV was found Thursday, Dec. 8, on the Smart Road at Tech. 

"The car was found yesterday," said Deanna Estrada, the senior editor for university relations at Radford. "But he was on foot when the tragedy happened."

Following the hijacking, Ashley allegedly killed Crouse, and later himself, yesterday afternoon. 

Estrada said it is still unknown how Ashley traveled from the Smart Road to the Cassell Coliseum parking lot.

At about 12:15 p.m. Thursday, Crouse was conducting a routine traffic stop in the Coliseum parking lot, near McComas Hall. During the stop, Ashley approached Crouse, allegedly shot him and fled on foot from the scene. 

At the greenhouses, Ashley changed out of his wool cap and pullover shirt, and put them inside a backpack, which he apparently left outside the buildings. The backpack has been recovered by the Blacksburg Police Department. 

After the shooting, a Montgomery County Sheriff's deputy observed a male pedestrian walking by himself in the Cage (I-Lot). However, the deputy lost sight of him. When the deputy found him, he was deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was wearing different clothing than what witnesses described, and he had no identification. 

State police uncovered an in-car video from Crouse's vehicle. The video shows a male subject with a handgun at the officer's car at the time of the shooting. The clothing found inside the backpack is similar to what the subject was wearing in the video. 

Ashley has no criminal record, other than being pulled over in Radford for speeding in October.

The investigation is ongoing. 

This evening, Radford University released a statement on the events that have unfolded over the past three days. "The entire Radford University community sends heartfelt condolences to everyone impacted by this tragedy and offers its full cooperation with the law enforcement agencies conducting the investigations," the statement reads.

However, the university couldn't disclose further information about the suspect.