Ohio
Man shot by Ohio sheriff’s deputy believed to be armed, heading to high school homecoming dance
A person accused of being armed and heading toward an Ohio high school Saturday night was fatally shot by officers.
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Around 9:11 p.m. Saturday, Medina County Sheriff’s deputies were assisting Wadsworth Police Department and Wayne County Sheriff’s Office with a suicidal 44-year-old man who was believed to be armed and threatening suicide by cop, CBS affiliate WOIO reported.
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Officers believed the man was heading to Wadsworth High School. The high school was placed on lockdown during the school’s homecoming as a precaution.
Janice Martin, whose daughter Maggie Martin is a senior at Wadsworth High, told WOIO that they received a phone call from her daughter before receiving a call from the school.
“She said I’m not happy because they put us in lockdown. It scared me because lockdown means there’s something really bad happening,” Martin said.
Maggie admitted she was a little nervous and started pacing as she called one of her friends.
“We were just being told we were in a soft lockdown, and they wouldn’t tell us what it was about,” Maggie said. “Some teachers came over to the group I was in and said it’s not a threat to the actual high school. It’s just a situation outside. But that didn’t make me feel any better.”
Wadsworth City School District Superintendent Andy Hill said in a message to parents that the individual was not a student of the district and was an adult.
Around 10:08 a.m. officers spotted the suspect’s car on Silver Creek Road in Wadsworth Twp and initiated a traffic stop.
After the officers stopped the car, the suspect got out with a suspected firearm, according to a release obtained by WOIO.
Medina County Sheriff deputies “engaged the suspect and fired their service weapon.” Officers and EMS administered life-saving measures but the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
Hill said the students and adults at the dance did an “outstanding job” following directions to ensure safety.
“Finally, I would like to thank the Wadsworth Police Department and the Medina County Sheriff’s Office for their quick response last night to enact plans to keep everyone at the high school safe. We appreciate their efforts to prioritize the safety of those in our high school while they actively dealt with the situation off of our campus,” Hill said.
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation was called to investigate the officer-involved shooting.
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Real estate transfers in Licking County, Ohio, range from $55,000 to $697,500
The following are property transfers recorded in Licking County from June 15-19, 2026.
First name indicates the seller; second name represents the buyer
Bowling Green Township
- No address listed – South St.; Gohl Investments LLC; Jude Properties LLC; 6/16/2026; $55,000
Eden Township
- 12967 Pleasant Valley Road; Troyer, Bryan L; Phillips, Charles and Susan; 6/15/2026; $170,000
Granville
- 319 Summit St.; Dunham, Timothy and Jill; Lenfest, Cody and Pagett, Victoria Rose; 6/16/2026; $585,000
Harrison Township
- 6582 Outville Road SW; AJ Pataskala LLC; Bemiller, Paige O and Gillam, Hunter; 6/16/2026; $286,000
Johnstown
- 51 Kasson St.; Jones, Dana; Dyer, Steven R and Melissa C; 6/15/2026; $169,900
Madison Township
- 20 Fairfield Drive NE; Ullom, Gary and Barbara A; KP Homes LLC; 6/15/2026; $190,000
Newark
- 1781 Ashford Lane; Scott, Mark W; Bergeron, Kyle M and Jacqueline M; 6/15/2026; $697,500
- 1687 Emerald Court; Roelle, Courtney R (Trustee); Haren, Patrick and Kayla L; 6/15/2026; $410,000
- 889 Dietrich Court; Fahner, Adam and Hannah; Bales, Preston T; 6/16/2026; $315,000
- 67 N. 31st St.; Morgan, Randy; Piper, Marian Richele; 6/15/2026; $275,000
- 195 Jefferson Road; Meister, Rachel; Flippin’ Out Renovations LLC; 6/17/2026; $150,000
- 63 W. Harrison St.; Linn, Carolyn M; Bloise, David Jr; 6/16/2026; $65,000
A family in Ohio has been indicted for murder after the body of a 20-year-old man was found in a burnt vehicle.
Sarah Haning, Randy Haning and Beverly Haning have been charged in the death of 20-year-old Ethan Vernon, Meigs County Prosecuting Attorney James K. Stanley said on Thursday. On Wednesday, a grand jury indicted the three members on charges that include murder, arson and gross abuse of a corpse.
Vernon was found dead in his burnt truck on Dec. 12, 2025, along Hemlock Grove Road in Bedford Township in Meigs County. Stanley said in the news release that the 20-year-old man was last seen on Dec. 11, 2025.
The prosecuting attorney said the indictment was handed down after an “extensive investigation.” Twenty-four-year-old Sarah Haning was indicted on 49 counts, 65-year-old Randy Haning on 11 counts and 63-year-old Beverly Haning on nine counts. All three family members are from Athens. The relationship between the victim and the three suspects was not immediately released. Vernon’s cause of death was also not immediately released.
In a Facebook post, Meigs County Sheriff Scott Fitch said the three suspects were arrested on Wednesday after law enforcement served a search warrant at a home on Pleasanton Road in Athens County.
“This investigation has been a lengthy and complex effort, and today’s arrests are the result of countless hours of work by our detectives,” Fitch said in the post on Facebook. “While these arrests mark a significant milestone, the investigation remains active, and we will continue to pursue every available lead to ensure justice is served for Ethan Vernon and his family.”
Anyone with any information on the case can call the sheriff’s tip line at 740-992-4682.
“Additional information will be released as it becomes available and as the investigation permits,” Fitch added.
A West Price Hill man is accused of punching an Ohio assistant attorney general after asking her for money, according to arrest documents and officials.
Jermaine Johnson, 50, is charged with misdemeanor assault after Cincinnati police say he punched Kathleen Fischer in the face July 1, according to court records.
Fischer was injured in the attack but was not hospitalized, arrest documents show.
Fischer is a senior assistant attorney general in the consumer protection section of the Ohio Attorney General’s Office. She spent more than a decade as an assistant prosecuting attorney in the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office before taking on her new role in 2025.
Fischer is also the daughter of Ohio Supreme Court Justice Pat Fischer, who hails from Fort Thomas.
Arrest documents list Fischer as the victim of the attack. An attorney general’s office spokesman and Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office spokesman also confirmed Fischer was the victim of the attack.
Fischer told police she was walking on Sycamore Street outside the prosecutor’s office around 4:30 p.m. when she ran into Johnson, arrest documents show. Johnson asked Fischer for money and as she continued to walk away, he punched her in the face, documents state.
A Cincinnati police officer then found Johnson two blocks away shortly after.
Johnson gave police a “conflicting statement” but told officers he may have accidentally hit her.
Johnson is also charged with misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia, court records show. Police say they found a glass pipe on Johnson while he was being arrested.
Johnson is expected to be arraigned in Hamilton County Municipal Court at 12:30 p.m., according to court records. He remains in custody at the Hamilton County Justice Center.
This report will be updated.
Enquirer reporter Matthew Cupelli contributed.
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