A police officer was killed, and two other officers injured during a shooting at a home in western Missouri’s Clinton last night.

Clinton Police Officer Christopher Ryan Morton, 30, was shot and killed in the line of duty on March 6, 2018.

Police were called to the house at roughly 9:20 p.m. after receiving a 9-1-1 call in which two women could be heard screaming in the background.

When officers got there, they became involved in gunfire that was initiated by the suspect while outside the residence.  The suspect is identified as 37-year-old James S. Waters of Clinton.  Upon entering the home, one officer was killed, and two other officers were injured by gunfire from Waters.

Police were subsequently able to remove the officers from the house and transport them to a hospital.  According to Missouri Highway Patrol Sgt. Bill Lowe, a SWAT scene was called to the scene.  Its personnel entered the home and found suspect Waters deceased at roughly 12:10 a.m.

The State Highway Patrol has identified the Clinton Police Officer killed as Christopher Ryan Morton. He was 30-years-old.

Sgt. Lowe said the two injured officers sustained non-life-threatening injuries.  The two screaming women were not injured.  Morton was employed with the department on two separate occasions.  He joined the force in January of 2015 and left in February 2016.  Morton returned to the department in September 2017, shortly after Officer Gary Michael was shot and killed last August 6th.

The Tuesday night shooting marked the second death of a Clinton Police Officer in seven months to the day.  Sgt. Lowe called the incident a tragic event for the city of Clinton and its police department.

Missouri U.S. Senator Roy Blunt released a statement Wednesday morning offering condolences for the loss if Officer Morton.

“Officer Christopher Morton putt his life on the line in service to his community and our nation, and we are deeply saddened by his loss,” said Blunt.  Our thoughts are with the family of Officer Morton, the two officers who were injured and the Clinton Police Department.”

Governor Eric Greitens issued a statement later Wednesday morning, noting that Officer Morton had replaced fallen Officer Michael on the Clinton Police Force.

“Officer Morton took Officer Michael’s post in the department.  Those two warriors are together now, in the company of God, who has brought his sons home,” said Greitens.  “We mourn our servents today.   We bless their memory.  We honor their families.  And we will – we must- do everything in our power to stand by this department and community in their grief.”

Names of the other officers have not been released.  Sgt. Lowe said the residence where the incident took place was previously known to Clinton Police.

David Lee at Missourinet affiliate KDKD contributed to this report