ONTARIO, Ohio — The Ontario Police Department is investigating what it is calling a road rage incident that escalated into a fatal shooting on Sunday night.
Around 9 p.m., two drivers "were involved in a confrontation" while travelling southbound on Lexington Springmill Road over Route 30, during which Andrew Westlund, 42, exited his vehicle and confronted the other driver, 27-year-old Wesley Patrick, police said.
When Westlund approached, Patrick rolled down his window and shot him, police said.
"Wesley Patrick rolled down his window and fired one round," Ontario Lieutenant Tony Grimwood said. "It was a 9-milimeter round, I will share that, striking Andrew in the chest area."
Watch our Tuesday report on the 911 calls that were released from the shooting:
Westlund was taken to a local hospital and pronounced dead. Police said they did not find a gun on him or in his vehicle.
"I can't even express how tragic something like this is," Grimwood said.
A day after our initial report aired, Sarah Westlund, Andrew's sister, released a statement saying Andrew was unarmed and called the shooting impulsive.
Our Family is deeply saddened by the loss of such a loved family member. It’s hard to comprehend that someone would feel the right to use deadly force so impulsively. The fact of the matter is that my brother was not armed and did not carry a weapon. In any other possible scenario, it is not acceptable to shoot somebody in a moment of rage. This was no exception. If the suspect had known his rights properly my brother would be here today. Also, it is hard for me to believe that he was in fear for his life when he chose to roll his window down before shooting my brother in the heart. All I can say is that I believe people need to know what their rights are and when to defend yourself because you feel like your life is threatened versus reacting impulsively to the extent of taking somebody’s life. I understand that his families life is affected as well so his choices Created tragedy for everyone- even indirectly. I may have empathy for this is 27-year-old boy but we lost our family member and there is a price to pay for that. I hope anybody who reads this as a carrier thinks twice about the right and the wrong time to take a life.
In a statement released Monday morning, Chief Tom Hill said that responding officers took the suspected shooter into custody at the scene.
Patrick was charged with voluntary manslaughter, and on Monday, his bond was set at $1 million in Mansfield Municipal Court, police said.
Grimwood was asked if the suspect was claiming self-defense.
"We're not that far into the investigation for us to be able to determine whether or not he has that argument," Grimwood said.
Grimwood said that during the holiday season, traffic in this area of Ontario triples or even quadruples, leading to increased impatience among drivers and more road rage reports.
"Our calls for road road rage incidents increases during that time," Grimwood said. "I can tell you this is the first incident where we've had a shooting where somebody was struck."
Following this tragedy, police are urging drivers to keep calm on the roads.
"There is nothing as far as vehicular travel where you should allow yourself to get that upset," Grimwood said.
Anyone with information on this investigation is encouraged to contact the department at 419-529-2115.
