An Iowa college says two Des Moines-area police officers who were ambushed and killed were both graduates of its criminal justice program. Simpson College President Jay Simmons says the deaths of Des Moines Sgt. Anthony Beminio and Urbandale officer Justin Martin are tragic and the loss is “almost too much to bear.”

Police say a white man with a history of racial provocations and confrontations with police killed the two officers in separate incidents early Wednesday. Beminio graduated from Simpson College in Indianola in 2001 and played football.

Martin graduated last year. Professor Fred Jones remembers him as a “kind, gentle, compassionate man” who went into police work because he wanted to serve the public. Martin had interned at the Urbandale Police Department during his senior year.

Simpson’s wrestling team will wear blue socks to honor the officers at its meet Thursday.