Damon Fitzgerald and Michael Galindo

(KLZA)--Nebraska Prison officials have publicly identified the two inmates killed during Thursday's disturbance at the Tecumseh State Prison.

Dead are Damon Fitzgerald and Michael Galindo.

Nebraska Department of Corrections Director Scott Frakes Thursday said the two were murdered.

In a statement released Friday, Frakes stated that “any loss of life is tragic,” but said the TSCI staff handled the situation extremely well and that “the public's safety was never compromised.”

Fitzgerald was serving a sentence for sexual assault in the first degree, among other offenses, while Galindo was serving a sentence for attempted possession of a controlled substance.

The Nebraska Department of Corrections confirmed in one of several news releases that nearly 40 inmates in a housing unit refused to return to their cells around 1:00 Thursday afternoon. As the incident unfolded, fires began and smoke was seen by those outside the prison.

Officials have not labeled the disturbance as a riot. 

By late Thursday afternoon, NDCS emergency response teams were able to enter the housing unit with the teams securing all inmates and extinguishing the fires. 

The housing unit is described as habitable and secure in one of the several news releases issued in connection with the disturbance.

 In May 2015, the correctional facility was the site of a riot that left two inmates dead, and caused more than $2 million in damages. TSCI Warden Brad Hansen, apparently referring to that past tragedy, says in a news relase that there have been “so many improvements over the last year and a half,” but notes that Thursday's incident “is a reminder that this is a dangerous business,” reminding prison officials to remain vigilant in the effort to keep people safe.

The Nebraska State Patrol is leading the criminal investigation and the Nebraska State Fire Marshal is conducting the investigation into the fires. NDCS staff and investigators will also conduct an internal critical incident review.