Elyria Police released an update on the shootings of three Lorain Police officers.
You can watch the press conference in the player below:
Elyria Police said its investigation revealed that the suspect, Michael Parker, acted alone and had a cache of weapons.
"We are continuing to work to understand the suspect's plan, motive, intended targets," Elyria Police Capt. Lantz said. “While we know when this occurred, where this occurred and who’s responsible, we want to - namely - understand the ‘why.’”
According to Lantz, the investigation revealed that no specific officers were targeted in the shooting. He said it's still unclear whether Parker planned to target anyone specifically or inflict maximum harm on whomever he encountered.
"This was not a spontaneous act," Lantz said.
Elyria Police Chief James Welsh added, “The evidence confirms that Parker had a deliberate and evil plan to inflict mass casualties upon humanity.”
Parker was living at home with family members at the time of the shooting.
Lantz said he will be presenting the findings of the officer-involved shooting aspect of the investigation to the Lorain County Prosecutor's office when it's completed.
Multiple agencies from across the state helped with this investigation.
The timeline
On July 23, three Lorain police officers were ambushed.
Officers Phillip Wagner and Peter Gale were eating lunch in a cul-de-sac on River Bend Drive when Parker approached them.
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Investigators previously believed the suspect was "lying in wait" when the officers arrived. But Lantz said the investigation found that the officers were at the scene before Parker arrived.
Parker opened fire as soon as he pulled up to the two police vehicles.
Wagner was immediately incapacitated. He would die the next day from his injuries.
Gale fled to a safer distance so he could retrieve his rifle and dispatch other officers to let them know what was happening.
Parker then began pulling weapons out of his vehicle for the impending law enforcement response, Lantz said.
Officer Brent Payne was one of the first to arrive at the scene.
Video from Payne's body-worn camera and cruiser video showed the suspect firing multiple rounds toward the officers.
Gale was struck in the hand and was able to drive himself away from the scene. He was later transported to Mercy Hospital, where he was treated for serious, but non-lethal injuries.
Payne was shot by Parker multiple times in the arm and hip. He managed to pull himself into the woodline, under a barrage of dozens more bullet rounds.
FBI agents arrived at the scene within minutes. They applied a tourniquet to control Payne's bleeding. They put him in their vehicle and transported him to the hospital.
As other officers arrived, they began to use Payne's vehicle as cover.
The investigation found five different officers returned fire on Parker. Lantz said the suspect was killed from more than 150 yards away.
He died less than 9 minutes after firing the first rounds at Officers Wagner and Gale.
After Parker was killed, investigators found Wagner still in his cruiser. He was immediately transported to the the hospital by police.
Wagner died as a result of the shooting.
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At the scene, officers were alarmed by the arsenal of weapons and ammunition Parker had in his possession.
He also had a rolling cart, a cooler and beverages near his car.
“They paint a very clear picture that this suspect was heavily armed and he came prepared for a very violent and sustained confrontation with law enforcement,” Lantz said.
Seven rifles, one shotgun, two handguns, 294 loaded magazines, 7,500 rounds of ammunition, and 100 pounds of explosive material, Tannerite, were found at the scene.
Investigators believe the weapons and ammunition were stored at Parker's Lorain home.
Parker's background
Police, the Ohio BCI and the FBI are all looking into Parker's background for clues of a possible motive.
Lorain County Coroner Dr. Frank Miller said he found no alcohol, drugs or medication in Parker's toxicology report. His medical history indicated he had been diagnosed with a mental illness.
“He’s been diagnosed as schizophrenic in the past; he’s been diagnosed as having a psychotic disorder,” Miller said, explaining that it appeared Parker had not been taking medication for his disorders for about eight years.
The suspect started legally purchasing firearms in 2019. In the months before the attack, investigators said he had been steadily acquiring large amounts of ammunition, tactical gear and at least four firearms used in the attack.
Lantz explained Ohio and federal laws don't disqualify someone from owning firearms if they have been diagnosed with mental illnesses.
"The law says that an individual has to be adjudicated by a court as mentally defective or involuntarily committed to mental institution for that to be applicable," he said.
Investigators are currently combing through digital evidence found at Parker's home. So far, they said they have not recovered any evidence of an obvious motive or a manifesto.
Next steps
The FBI is assisting Elyria Police with its examination of evidence and other material found at Parker's home and at the shooting scene.
The department will also give the county prosecutor a formal presentation of its findings in the officer-involved shooting investigation.
Officers hailed heroes
Law enforcement leaders commended the actions of the responding officers as heroic.
“Had they not intervened so quickly, gauged the suspect and ended that threat - and had he had time to set up all of the weapons and the explosives - there could have been much more casualties,” said Chief Welsh. “There’s no doubt that officer Wagner’s ultimate sacrifice, along with the swift and courageous response of Lorain Police, saved lives.”
Lorain Police Chief Michael Failing said, even after viewing Thursday's presentation multiple times, it remained difficult to watch. He said he was also proud of his officers and grateful for the assistance and support from other agencies.
Failing plans to add a commemorative plaque near the Lorain Police Department's employee entrance with a reminder about the heroic actions.
“The inscription reads, ‘Nobody asks to be a hero, it just sometimes turns out that way.’ On July 23, I feel we had an entire county of heroes,” he said.
