Police have arrested a man who worked in Radford University dining halls in connection with a shooting Thursday near the university's campus that left one dead.
Stock room worker Phillip Eugene Beale Sr. was arrested Sunday on charges of second-degree murder and use of a firearm in commission of a felony.
He is accused of killing 33-year-old Christiansburg man Floyd Wilfred-Linn Wright Jr. shortly after 9 p.m. Thursday in the 500 block of Calhoun Street.
Radford University spokesman Michael Hemphill said Beale is employed by Chartwells Dining Services, a food service contractor that runs the university's dining services.
"He works in the stock room," Hemphill said. "Physically, he is not in direct contact with the students, faculty or staff."
Hemphill said the university's alert system successfully locked down the campus.
"The first RU alert went out within 10 minutes of the university receiving its first notification of the incident," Hemphill said.
The campus was in lockdown from around 9:30 p.m. until after 2 a.m. Students and faculty received hourly updates from the alert system.
Radford's alert system consists of sending voicemails as well as text messages and e-mails to the university community. Hemphill said there were no delays in receiving the messages.
Wright was an employee of Carpetland USA in Christiansburg.
Beale is being held without bond at the New River Valley Regional Jail. He will be arraigned on Thursday, April 9, at 1 p.m. in Radford Court.
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