Nebraska prison officials confirm two inmates are dead after a confrontation at Tecumseh State Correctional Institution Thursday.
NDCS officials said the disturbance began around 1 p.m. after staff reported there was a fire in a yard connected to housing units. Approximately 40 inmates in one housing unit refused to return to their assigned cells. After officials said it became clear the incident was becoming unsafe, staff were directed to leave and secure the door to the rest of the housing unit and the prison was placed in lockdown status.
Officials said there were several altercations between inmates during this time. NDCS emergency response teams were activated. The violent incident inside the prison Thursday prompted officials to put Nebraska law enforcement on stand by.
At approximately 4:30 p.m. NDCS emergency response teams entered the affected area and secured all inmates. Officials said two inmates were killed and several others injured.
The names of the injured and deceased will not be released at this time. According to prison officials, NDCS are still notifying family at this time.
Prison Director Scott Frakes said Thursday night that "any loss of life is tragic. The TSCI staff handled the situation extremely well, which limited the incident to a small number of participants and minimal damage. The public’s safety was never compromised."