UGA Professor’s Wife Among Shooting Victims

Athens police are still searching for a University of Georgia professor who they believe shot and killed three people Saturday afternoon at an off-campus location, said the university.

SLIDESHOW: UGA Professor Accused Of Shooting, Killing 3 People

The University of Georgia issued a campus-wide alert stating professor George Zinkhan, 57, of Bogart, is a suspect in the shooting. Authorities said Zinkhan fled the scene before officers arrived.

Police identified the victims as Tom Tanner, 40; Marie Bruce, 47, an Athens attorney and Zinkhan's wife, who also served as president of Town and Gown Players; and Ben Teague, 63.

Authorities were monitoring airports in case Zinkhan tried to head to Amsterdam, where he owns a home, or Austin, Texas, where he has relatives.

The shooting happened at about noon Saturday at a community theatre behind The Taylor-Grady House, a National Historic Landmark located in the 600 block of Prince Avenue. Channel 2 Action News crews were the first at the scene. WSB-TV photographer Erin Frederickson talked with witnesses and took pictures with her BlackBerry as the story unfolded.

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"I was leaving an Adult Literacy Council board meeting at Piedmont College across the street from where the shooting happened. As I was leaving the building, I heard gunshots and saw a lot of people running," said Gary Moon.

The Clarke County Coroner’s Office confirmed the deaths with the Channel 2 Action News assignment desk.

Authorities said Zinkhan had his son and daughter with him when he went to the Athens Community Theater on Saturday afternoon, but left them in his vehicle as he fired shots. Authorities also said Zinkhan argued with at least one of the victims prior to the shooting, then walked away before returning with at least two different guns and opening fire. Each victim was shot multiple times.

After the shooting, authorities said Zinkhan dropped his children off at a neighbor's house and told his neighbor, Robert Covington, only that he needed someone to watch them for about an hour because of an emergency.

Covington said when he asked Zinkhan's daughter about the emergency, "all she would relate to me was there was something about a firecracker."

Zinkhan was last seen driving a 2005 red Jeep Liberty with Georgia tag No. AIX 1376.

George Zinkhan Jeep IM 2005 Jeep Liberty, Georgia tag No. AIX 1376

According to the university's Web site, Zinkhan is a Coca-Cola Co. professor in the department of marketing and distribution at the Terry College of Business.

In a statement, University of Georgia President Michael F. Adams said the university community was shocked and saddened.

"Our first thoughts are for safety of the university community and for prompt apprehension of the person responsible," Adams said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of all those who have been affected."

On Sunday, the board of Town and Gown Players released a statement which read in part "Ben, Marie and Tom were a part of our family, and as painful as their loss is for us, we know it is even more painful for their families."

Stay tuned to Channel 2 Action News and WSBTV.com for more late breaking details.