Corrections officer died of gunshot at Morris County jail, cops say

A corrections officer has died inside the Morris County Correctional Facility, authorities announced Sunday.

According to a statement from Morris County Prosecutor Fredric M. Knapp, authorities were notified about the fatality at about 7 a.m. and soon learned that the deceased was a corrections officer at the jail.

Authorities say they're investigating the situation. They have not yet provided any information regarding the circumstances surrounding the officer's death.

The Daily Record reported that the officer died of a gunshot wound.

"The incident is currently under investigation and no other information will be released at this time, including the identity of the officer pending family notification," the prosecutor said. "At no time was there any danger to the community as a result of this incident."

The prosecutor said the facility is "secure and operating normally at this time."

The six-story correctional facility opened in May of 2000 and contains eight housing pods totaling 277 cells. The facility can house a total of 528 inmates, according to the Morris County website. The site states that eight housing pods "are open, self-contained living units and each one houses between 64 and 72 inmates.

Toniann Antonelli is a social content producer for NJ 101.5. She can be reached at toniann.antonelli@townsquaremedia.com, or on Twitter @ToniRadio1015.