Ohio shooting rampage: Gunman kills 7; motive may never be known
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Law enforcement officials were trying to determine what drove a gunman to kill seven people -- including an 11-year-old boy who tried to run away -- early Sunday morning in an Ohio suburb.
The rampage began shortly before noon Sunday when the shooter killed his girlfriend after a dispute. Then, he went to a nearby neighbor’s home and opened fire, reportedly killing his girlfriend’s brother and four others in Copley Township, Ohio, including relatives believed to be visiting from Kentucky.
The carnage then moved through the streets as other victims tried to flee. Some tried to get away by running into neighboring backyards, according to the Associated Press. One of the victims who tried to escape was an 11-year-old boy, but he was eventually hunted down by the gunman.
After shooting his last victim, the shooter was confronted by both a police officer and a civilian and former police officer. The gunman was killed in that firefight.
In all, eight people were shot, including one person who remains hospitalized.
The name of the gunman has not been released, and the motive is unknown. Police, who have not yet released the names of any of the victims, planned to hold a news conference at noon Monday. Ohio media reported that two of the victims were local high school students and that as many as three of the victims were from a single family.
Meanwhile, residents of Copley Township were reeling from the tragedy. About 200 people gathered at sunset Sunday night for a candlelight vigil to remember the victims, and there were plans to set up a memorial fund.
Some of those who gathered expressed frustration that the motive might never be known. “The killer’s gone, nobody’s going to know exactly why” it happened, said one woman.
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-- Rene Lynch
