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LORAIN, Ohio (WOIO) – The name was released Thursday of the deceased suspected shooter of three Lorain police officers.
The Lorain County Coroner identified the suspect as Michael Parker, 28.
Parker is accused of opening fire on three officers in an ambush around 1 p.m. Wednesday in the area of Missouri and Colorado avenues in Lorain.
Two officers, Phillip Wagner and Brent Payne, were shot several times.
They are listed in critical condition at MetroHealth in Cleveland.
A third officer, Peter Gale, was shot in the hand and taken to Mercy Hospital.
Acting Lorain Police Chief Michael Failing said Officers Wagner and Gale just bought a pizza and were parked side by side at the dead-end on Missouri Avenue.
According to Failing, the suspect was also parked at the dead-end with an arsenal of weapons and was “lying in wait.”
Failing said Parker then opened fire with a high-powered rifle, hitting both officers, who returned fire.
Officer Payne called for backup while enroute to the scene to help the officers. He was shot several times in his patrol car.
Other officers who were called to assist loaded the wounded officers into their cars and drove them to the hospital.
At this time, Elyria Police Chief James Welsh said it is not known if Parker died from officer gunfire or a self-inflicted gunshot.
Lorain Service Director Rey Carrion confirms the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office searched Parker’s home Wednesday on North Lakeview Boulevard.
Also Wednesday, the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office and Cleveland Bomb Squad detonated explosives near the scene of the ambush shooting, Carrion said.
Welsh and Failing said there was only one suspect. There were earlier reports of a second suspect at large.
Elyria police are handling the investigation, and the department has called the Ohio Bureau of Investigations for assistance.
“We love our Lorain police officers,” Lorain Mayor Jack Bradley said. “I consider them the best police officers in the state of Ohio.”
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This article was published by WTVG on 2025-07-24 09:15:00
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