MENTOR, Ohio (AP) — A man facing eviction from a mobile home park in Ohio fatally shot the site’s property manager and two other residents before retreating into his home, where he fired shots at police and kept officers at bay before he killed himself, authorities said.
Another resident was wounded in the shooting that broke out at the Mentor Green Mobile Estates in Mentor around 4:30 p.m. Thursday.
Police responding to a 911 call about shots fired at the park found property manager Laura Colon, 62, dead on a roadway. Terrance Mathis Sr., 63, a resident who had a stomach wound, was found nearby and was carried to safety by officers before he was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.
The body of another resident, Thomas Galizia, 81, was later found at the scene while Charles Skala, 63, was found in his home with gunshot wounds to the shoulder and right thigh. He remained hospitalized Friday in stable condition.
As the officers attended to the victims, the shooter — Jason Norris, 47 — started shooting at them, authorities said. The officers took cover but did not return fire.
Witnesses said Norris had been in an altercation with Colon before he brandished two handguns and started shooting her, authorities said. The three other victims were shot when they came to Colon’s assistance.
After Norris went into his home, a police hostage negotiation team attempted to make contact with him without success. A tactical drone was then deployed into his unit around 8:15 p.m., where he was observed killing himself, authorities said.
Several park residents were evacuated after the shooting began, but they were allowed to return to their homes early Friday.
