CHILLICOTHE, Ohio (WCMH) — A correction officer in Ross County was killed Christmas morning by an inmate.

The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction announced that officer Andrew Lansing died Wednesday morning after being assaulted by an inmate at the Ross County Correctional Institution. Highway Patrol officers said The attack happened around 7:15 a.m., and the inmate suspect was transferred to the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility.

On Thursday, Ohio State Highway Patrol officers identified the suspect as 27-year-old Rashawn Cannon. Cannon was in prison on two felony charges: one count of second-degree felonious assault and one count of third-degree weapon under disability. Cannon was sentenced Sept. 28, 2023 and is scheduled for release in 2030.

“Officer Lansing was loved by his colleagues and known to be a great support for his fellow RCI staff,” wrote Annette Chambers-Smith, the department’s director. “He was a friendly, outgoing officer who treated everyone with respect and was always a professional. The loss of a staff person is difficult, but to lose a family member on Christmas Day at the hands of someone in our custody is a tragedy beyond comprehension.”

The prison is operating under restricted movement as the Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating.