Suspect accused of ambushing 3 Ohio officers had 'arsenal of weapons,' officials say
LORAIN, Ohio (WJW) — An armed man lying in wait on a dead-end street in Ohio shot and wounded three Ohio police officers on Wednesday, officials said.
The initial shooting took place after two of the officers had parked their patrol vehicles to eat lunch in an undeveloped industrial park in the city of Lorain, about 25 miles west of Cleveland. An officer driving into the scene in response to their call for help was also shot and seriously injured.
The first two Lorain police officers to be shot were identified as 35-year-old Phillip Wagner and 51-year-old Peter Gale, and the third responding officer was identified as 47-year-old Brent Payne.
The suspected gunman, who was "shot on scene," has been identified as 28-year-old Michael Parker, according to the Lorain County coroner.
The incident unfolded just after 1 p.m. at a dead end of an industrial parkway off of Colorado Avenue in Lorain. Acting Police Chief Michael Failing told reporters Wednesday that the gunman was lying in wait at the location with an “arsenal of weapons” when he opened fire on the officers.
Police loaded the injured officers into cruisers and raced them to the hospital while providing wound care.
Wagner and Payne, who were shot multiple times, were airlifted to a Level I Trauma Center in Cleveland, and were still being treated on Wednesday evening, Failing said. Gale was shot in the hand and treated at a Lorain hospital.
An update on their condition has not been provided as of Thursday morning.
Elyria police are now investigating the shooting. Police Chief James Welsh told reporters on Wednesday afternoon that the suspect ambushed the officers with a high-powered rifle. The officers then returned fire.
The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene, though Welsh could not confirm whether the suspect was shot and killed by officers or whether he died by suicide.
Welsh said the man is believed to have acted alone.
The coroner tells Nexstar's WJW that an autopsy will take place on Thursday.
Lorain County Sheriff’s Office Maj. A.J. Torres also confirmed to WJW that authorities found explosives in the suspect’s car at the scene of the ambush. Suspicious items were also found and removed from the suspect’s home on North Lakeview Boulevard, officials confirmed Wednesday night.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. This is a developing story.