Nebraska prison officials have identified the two inmates killed in a disturbance at the Tecumseh State Prison Thursday afternoon.
They say 39 year old Damon Fitzgerald and 31 year old Michael Galindo died during the incident.
Fitzgerald was serving 310 to 470 years for two counts of First Degree Sexual Assault, Robbery, Burglary, five counts of Use of a Deadly Weapon to Commit a Felony, two counts of Assault by a Confined Person and Third Degree Assault on a Peace Officer.
Galindo was serving 12 to 21 years for Robbery, Forgery, Attempted Possession of a Controlled Substance, Sale of Alcohol to a Minor and Driving Under Suspension.
This is the second disturbance at Tecumseh in two years. The incident is being investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol, State Fire Marshal's Office and Nebraska Department of Corrections.
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 lock down 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.
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."
The prison is still on lock down and no visitors will be allowed at the prison until Monday, March 6th.