The suspected gunman and the mother and daughter killed before a Rittman police sergeant was fatally shot have been identified.
Wayne County Coroner Dr. Amy Jolliff told News 5 Cleveland’s Bob Jones that the suspect was 38-year-old Brandon Fazekas. The other two victims were identified as 43-year-old Christine McWilliams and her 13-year-old daughter, McKinley McWilliams.
According to News 5 Cleveland’s reporting, Christine and McKinley McWilliams were killed before Rittman Police Sgt. Scott Ries was fatally shot after officers responded to the home. News 5 also reported that Fazekas died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Authorities previously said officers were dispatched at approximately 9:30 p.m. Sunday, July 5, to a 911 call reporting a break-in and shots fired at a home in the 90 block of Chippewa Trail in Rittman.
According to a joint statement released Monday by Rittman Police Chief Robert Shows, Wayne County Sheriff Thomas Ballinger and Medina County Sheriff Terry Grice, officers came under immediate gunfire upon arriving at the scene.
Sgt. Ries was killed during the exchange. He served the Rittman Police Department for 10 years and previously worked as a deputy with the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office and as an officer with the Sugar Grove Police Department in Fairfield County.
“It is with profound sadness that the Rittman Police Department and the City of Rittman announce the tragic loss of Sgt. Scott Ries, who was killed in the line of duty responding to a disturbance call,” the department said in a statement.
Four additional responding officers, all with the Medina County Sheriff’s Office, were struck by gunfire. Two deputies were transported to a local hospital and remain in stable condition, while two others were treated at the scene.
Wayne County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Vick was also shot during the incident and remains in serious condition.
The shooting claimed four lives: Sgt. Ries, Fazekas, Christine McWilliams and McKinley McWilliams.
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is leading the investigation into the officer-involved shooting. Officials said the investigation remains active and ongoing.
Authorities have not released additional information about what led to the shooting or a possible motive.
Jordan Miller News will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.
