Three Ohio police officers were shot, two of them numerous times, when a gunman opened fire on them while they were eating pizza in their patrol cars on Wednesday, according to the Lorain police chief.
The gunman, who was fatally shot on the scene, had an “arsenal” of weapons and was “lying in wait” when he started firing on the two parked patrol vehicles at 1:05 p.m., according to acting Police Chief Michael Failing.
Mayor Jack Bradley said, “It’s a tragic day in the city of Lorain.”
Two officers had bought pizza and were parked side by side in their patrol cruisers at the dead end of Missouri Avenue when the attacker began firing, according to Failing.
According to Failing, one of the officers was wounded in the hand, while the other was shot many times. According to him, a third cop was shot many times after hearing the call for help and driving to assist.
The two officers who had been wounded numerous times were transported to a Cleveland hospital. They were in critical condition, Bradley explained.
The police department in neighboring Elyria is handling the investigation because it was an officer-involved shooting, according to officials.
On Wednesday, the gunman was identified simply as a 28-year-old white guy with a last known residence in Lorain.
“This was an ambush situation,” Elyria Police Chief James Welsh told reporters.
The attacker started firing on the officers with a “high-powered rifle,” according to Welsh. He alleged the police returned fire.
According to Failing, the filming took place in an undeveloped industrial park with walking trails and roadways.
Officers who responded to the plea for assistance placed the injured officers into patrol vehicles and drove them to the hospital, he explained.
“Fran and I are praying for the three Lorain Police Department officers who were shot in the line of duty today, and our thoughts are also with their families, friends, and fellow officers in northeast Ohio,” DeWine said.
Failing was asked whether he knew anything about the gunman, and he responded bluntly.
“I have no idea who he is, and I don’t care,” Failing said.
Lorain and Elyria are cities with populations of approximately 65,000 and 53,000, respectively, located about 25 miles west of Cleveland.