BRUNSWICK, Ohio — Brunswick police arrested an 18-year-old male late Tuesday evening in connection with the fatal shooting of his 18-year-old girlfriend.
It happened in the 4300 block of Southwick Boulevard just after 11 p.m, according to police.
Responding officers located the female, who was a senior at Brunswick High School, when they arrived on the scene.
According to police, the alleged shooter is the victim's boyfriend. The man was arrested without incident and taken to the Medina County Jail where he is being held on a murder charge.
Police said that a child relative was at the home when the shooting occurred. A gun was recovered from the scene and authorities are working to identify the registered owner of the firearm. Police also said they aren't aware of any previous calls to the home.
Jason A. Niedermeyer, superintendent of the Brunswick City School District, released the following statement:
It is with a heavy heart that I notify you Brunswick City Schools lost two students yesterday. Tragically, in separate incidents, a high school senior and a preschool school student passed away. Please know that we have a well-trained crisis response team in place, and they will be working to ensure our students and staff have a support network to help them navigate these losses. Please encourage your student to reach out if they need someone to talk with during this difficult time.
Brunswick is an incredible community. The tragic loss of our students will undoubtedly have a lasting impact on our students, families, and staff. Every student in our district is a valued, cherished member of our BCSD family. Our hearts are heavy for the loved ones who mourn.
Please keep the loved ones of these students in your thoughts and prayers.
The incident in Brunswick was another instance of the rising domestic violence cases in the state.
“Domestic violence incidents have increased, certainly the domestic homicides have also increased across the state so this is a situation that's unfortunate, we're sad for the family," said Lt. Robert Safran of the Brunswick Police Department.
Mary O’Doherty, executive director Ohio Domestic Violence Network, said that numbers have skyrocketed over the past two years, with the latest numbers showing the rise has continued.
“Last year we saw a 20% increase in domestic violence fatalities over the year before," O'Doherty said. “In our reporting period, 131 people died from domestic violence in Ohio and 15 of those were very young victims.”
The number of young victims of domestic violence mark the most since the coalition began several years ago.
Gun violence contributes to the majority of the cases of domestic violence deaths in Ohio.
"Last year, 86% of the 131 fatalities that we had involved gun violence," O'Doherty said. "That's actually a pattern that holds up every year."
With domestic violence on the rise, particularly spiking at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, advocates and law enforcement hope that victims will utilize resources and seek help before more tragedy strikes.
“We have shelters, we have non-residential programs," O'Doherty said. "We have resources that we are equipt to provide to anyone who calls us. So the message is there’s help available please seek it. It’s a great first step.”
Brunswick police echoed that sentiment following the incident Tuesday evening.
“We would recommend to anybody if they're in an abusive relationship to seek help to get out of that relationship. Take steps to change your life," Safran said.
Here are a list of resources if you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence:
National Domestic Violence Hotline- 1-800-799-7233 or test "START" to 88788
Ohio resources- Search online here.
Ohio Domestic Violence Network- Click here to visit the site.
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