Four people, including a police officer and the suspected gunman, were killed in a shooting in Ohio on Sunday night after officers responding to a 911 call came under gunfire, authorities said.
The incident unfolded in Rittman, a town of about 6,000 residents outside Akron, prompting a large law enforcement response and the lockdown of part of the community.
Speaking at a news conference, Wayne County Sheriff Thomas Ballinger said officers were dispatched around 9:30 p.m. following reports of shots fired.
According to Ballinger, responding officers “immediately started taking fire” upon arriving at the scene.
“At this time, we lost an officer in the line of duty, and two other ones have been injured,” the sheriff said. A police K-9 from the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office was also injured during the exchange.
Authorities said the suspected gunman and two other people also died in the shooting, bringing the death toll to four.
Motive remains under investigation
Officials have not yet released the identities of those killed, and the motive behind the shooting is under investigation.
Akron Mayor Shammas Malik expressed condolences in a post on X, saying, “Very tragic news this morning – a Rittman officer was killed responding to a 911 call last night, with two other victims deceased. My heart goes out to the loved ones of those who passed away, to the Rittman PD, and to the whole Wayne County community.”
