PORT CLINTON — Family, fellow officers and the public will say goodbye Thursday, Oct. 22, to Clay Township police Sgt. Jacob Roesler, who was killed in a crash while on duty last week.
The funeral service begins at 9 a.m. at the Liberty Aviation Museum, 3515 E. State Road, Port Clinton. The public is welcome to attend, and a procession will follow the service, 13 Action News reported.
Roesler, 26, died Friday, Oct. 16, when his vehicle was hit at the intersection of state routes 51 and 795 in Ottawa County while he was responding to a separate crash, WTOL 11 reported.
Procession route
According to the Clay Township Police Department, as reported by WTOL 11, the procession will:
Leave the museum along State Road, then head south on State Route 53 to westbound State Route 2.
Exit State Route 2 at State Route 163 in Oak Harbor.
Continue to Genoa and turn onto Main Street.
Proceed to State Route 51.
Roesler will then be escorted into Toledo by his family, friends and members of the Clay Township Police Department. Police ask people paying respects along the route to stay off the roadway. Questions can go to the Clay Township Police Department at 419-855-3444 or the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office at 419-734-4404. More information is on the Clay Township Police Department website and the Ottawa County website.
How to watch
13 Action News said it will carry the funeral live on its 13+ streaming service and wherever viewers stream 13 Action News.
Remembering Jacob
Roesler was a hunter, a fisherman and a “dog dad,” 13 Action News reported. His mother, Lori Roesler, told the station he had just closed on his first house in September and moved in two days before he was killed. “Jacob loved his family fiercely. He would do anything for anyone,” she said.
https://thefostoriafreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/funeral-sgt-jacob-roeslerFostoria News.jpg6751200GRK BThttps://thefostoriafreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Screenshot-2025-02-01-at-9.19.31 PM-1030x926.pngGRK BT2026-10-21 21:18:562026-10-21 21:18:56CLAY TOWNSHIP | Funeral for Sgt. Jacob Roesler Is Thursday at 9 a.m. at Liberty Aviation Museum; Public Welcome, Procession to Follow
FOSTORIA — The federal drug and money-laundering case against former Power Up gym owner Epolito Rodriguez of Fostoria and three co-defendants, including Mercedes Rodriguez, will not see any pretrial motions until next year. A federal judge in Toledo set a Jan. 15, 2027, motion deadline and paused the Speedy Trial clock until late January, according to a docket entry made Tuesday.
The update is in a minute order entered Oct. 20, 2026, in United States v. Rodriguez et al., Case No. 3:26-cr-00098-JJH, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Western Division. The Free Press reviewed the entry on the court’s PACER system.
Charges are accusations only. Every defendant in this case is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Tuesday’s telephone conference
U.S. District Judge Jeffrey J. Helmick held a 15-minute telephone pretrial conference on Oct. 20. It covered four of the five defendants named in the superseding indictment:
Epolito Rodriguez (Defendant 1), represented by attorney Kurt Bruderly
Randolph Langston (Defendant 3), represented by attorney Stevin Groth
Terry D’Keith Nelson (Defendant 4), represented by attorney Jerome Phillips
Mercedes Rodriguez (Defendant 5), represented by attorney Jane E. Roman, who was appointed under the Criminal Justice Act
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Melching appeared for the government. The docket says only that “case status” was reported. It does not describe what was discussed.
Judge Helmick set these dates and rulings:
Motion deadline: All defendants must file pretrial motions by Jan. 15, 2027.
Next conference: A further pretrial conference is set for Jan. 28, 2027, at 3:30 p.m., again by telephone.
Speedy Trial time excluded: The time from Oct. 21, 2026, through Jan. 28, 2027, is excluded under the federal Speedy Trial Act, 18 U.S.C. 3161(h). The order says the delay allows for possible motion practice and for defense attorneys to review discovery. Discovery is the evidence the government turns over to the defense.
In the order, the judge found that “the ends of justice served by granting this time outweigh the best interest of the public and the defendant in obtaining a speedy trial.”
The fifth defendant in the superseding indictment, Miguel Gonzalez-Garcia (Defendant 2), is not listed in the Oct. 20 minute order. The docket entry does not say why.
The charges against Mercedes Rodriguez
The docket lists five pending counts against Mercedes Rodriguez, all classified as felonies:
Count 1: Conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, controlled substances, under 21 U.S.C. 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(A), (b)(1)(B), (b)(1)(C) and 846
Count 8: Money laundering conspiracy, under 18 U.S.C. 1956(h)
Counts 9 through 11: International money laundering, under 18 U.S.C. 1956(a)(2)(A) and 2
The docket shows Epolito Rodriguez is named in the same counts, 1, 8 and 9 through 11, plus Count 2 of the superseding indictment. The international money laundering counts had not been publicly identified when the Free Press last reported on the case. The docket summary does not describe the specific transactions or amounts behind those counts.
How the case began
The case started in February with a series of searches in Fostoria. On Feb. 19, law enforcement served search warrants at several Fostoria locations, the Free Press reported at the time. The locations included the Power Up gym at 106 N. Main St. and Epolito Rodriguez’s home on U.S. 23.
Power Up Fitness was run by Trisha Roddy, who has not been charged or arrested in the federal case. In a Feb. 21 report, the Free Press said Roddy had sent the Free Press messages demanding that its coverage of the raids be taken down.
According to a DEA task force officer’s affidavit, described in later news reports, the DEA and the Ohio State Highway Patrol began investigating Rodriguez in late 2025. They had received information that he was allegedly selling bulk quantities of cocaine and using the gym to support the operation. Investigators said they watched his vehicle near a California-plated semi in Findlay on Feb. 16. The semi was stopped near Columbus that night, and authorities reported finding $665,480 in cash under a mattress in the sleeper.
In the Feb. 19 searches, agents reported finding about 42 kilograms of suspected cocaine, most of it in duffel bags in the gym’s basement, along with cash at the gym. At his home they reported finding $139,100. Authorities put the total cash seized at more than $800,000.
Epolito Rodriguez was arrested Feb. 25 on a federal criminal complaint and was indicted March 4. He pleaded not guilty March 9, and Bruderly took over his defense from the Federal Public Defender’s office. He later asked to be released and offered properties as security. After a May 5 detention hearing, the court ordered him to stay in custody while the case is pending. The gym’s Fostoria location at 106 N. Main St. closed in early March. It was later renamed Ignite Wellness Club and reopened at 112 W. Tiffin St. in Fostoria, using the same phone number. Its Google listing now shows it as temporarily closed. In a Facebook post reported by WTOL, the business said it “was never a ‘front’ for anything.”
Superseding indictment adds four defendants
The case grew in September. A superseding indictment was filed under seal Sept. 2 and unsealed Sept. 14. It added Gonzalez-Garcia, Langston, Nelson and Mercedes Rodriguez as defendants.
Mercedes Rodriguez and Nelson were arrested Sept. 11, according to the docket, and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Darrell A. Clay on Sept. 14. The Free Press reported on Sept. 17 that the DEA had arrested Mercedes Rodriguez, whom the Free Press identified as Epolito Rodriguez’s sister. Ages and hometowns for the four newer defendants have not been released in public court records.
For a wider look at the year’s drug cases in and around Fostoria, see the Free Press 2026 drug arrests roundup.
What happens next
Jan. 15, 2027: Deadline for all defendants to file pretrial motions. These could include motions to suppress evidence or other challenges to the charges.
Jan. 28, 2027, 3:30 p.m.: Further telephone pretrial conference before Judge Helmick.
No trial date has been set in the docket entries the Free Press reviewed, and no plea agreements have been entered. The case remains pending.
https://thefostoriafreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/fostoria-federal-drug-caseFostoria News.jpg6751200GRK BThttps://thefostoriafreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Screenshot-2025-02-01-at-9.19.31 PM-1030x926.pngGRK BT2026-10-21 15:28:092026-10-21 15:49:59FOSTORIA | Judge Sets Jan. 15 Motion Deadline in Federal Power Up Drug, Money-Laundering Case Against Epolito and Mercedes Rodriguez
GREENFIELD, Ind. — A Hancock County, Indiana, sheriff’s deputy is charged with 441 criminal counts after Indiana State Police said he used the Flock license-plate camera network to track people in his personal life, including his wife, a man who had known her and a former girlfriend’s family.
This is Hancock County, Indiana, east of Indianapolis, whose county seat is Greenfield. It is not Hancock County, Ohio, and the case does not involve the Hancock County (Ohio) Sheriff’s Office in Findlay.
James Joseph Heneghan IV, 33, of Fortville, was arrested on a warrant Thursday, Sept. 24, and booked into the Hancock County Jail, according to Indiana State Police. Some social media posts have spelled his name “Henegan,” but state police and the Greenfield Daily Reporter spell it Heneghan. The charges are accusations only. Heneghan is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty in court.
Seven cases, 441 counts
Hancock County Prosecutor Brent Eaton told the Daily Reporter there are seven cases against Heneghan with a combined 441 counts: 220 misdemeanor counts of fraud, 220 felony counts of official misconduct and one felony count of intimidation. “We believe each charge is independent — that’s why we charged it that way,” Eaton said. He said the counts do not cover every violation officials believe may have happened, but that the evidence supports each one that was filed.
Official misconduct is a Level 6 felony, Indiana’s lowest felony class, and the intimidation count was also filed as a felony. The fraud counts were filed as misdemeanors. The cases are expected to be heard in Hancock Superior Court 2 before Judge Dan Marshall, Eaton told the newspaper. Chief Deputy Prosecutor Aimee Herring also filed the cases.
“When you’re going to have a situation where you have to charge somebody with a crime that is a member of an agency with which you work, that can be difficult,” Eaton told WTHR.
How the case started
State police said the case began in April 2026 as an intimidation complaint over threatening text messages Heneghan is accused of sending to a family member. Sheriff Brad Burkhart referred the matter to the McCordsville Police Department, which passed it to state police. Heneghan was placed on leave when the allegations surfaced.
According to WTHR and IndyStar, the messages allegedly told the relative never to contact his family again and warned that the relative’s children would suffer. The family member also told investigators Heneghan had used police technology to follow and confront people, IndyStar reported.
“As the investigation progressed, detectives discovered evidence of improper use of automatic license plate reading cameras,” state police said. “Through an extensive audit, detectives found unauthorized searches in the license plate reading camera database. The searches were specific to people Heneghan was familiar with.”
What investigators say the searches show
Court records described by WTHR, FOX59 and IndyStar say Heneghan ran about 6,200 Flock searches between December 2024 and March 2026. Investigators said roughly 65 percent of them were run while he was off duty, according to FOX59. IndyStar reported that only about 40 of the searches were made while he was on duty.
Charging documents say his wife’s vehicle and a man’s license plate were each searched more than 900 times, FOX59 reported. The search reasons he entered included “invest” and “DUI traffic study,” according to WTHR, and IndyStar reported that he also used labels such as “OWI arrest” and “police investigation.” Investigators said they found no active cases involving the people whose vehicles were searched.
Vehicles linked to a former high school girlfriend and her family were searched more than 200 times, according to the reports. Investigators allege that one of those vehicles, driven by a young relative of the former girlfriend, had been searched on Flock nine times before Heneghan stopped it in a January traffic stop. That driver told police he tailgated her before pulling her over, FOX59 reported.
FFP is not naming any of the people whose vehicles were allegedly searched or the relative who received the texts.
Unpaid leave, termination sought
Burkhart told the Daily Reporter that his office opened an internal investigation after a McCordsville police report suggested Flock may have been used inappropriately, and then asked McCordsville to look at it “from a criminal angle.” Heneghan, a merit deputy since 2022, was first put on paid administrative leave and was moved to unpaid leave after the charges were filed.
The sheriff’s office has recommended that Heneghan be fired. Under Indiana law, the sheriff must take the case to the county’s merit board before a merit deputy can be dismissed. FFP found no report that the merit board has ruled as of Oct. 20.
“While this situation is undoubtedly a black eye for our agency, it should not be viewed as a reflection of the sheriff’s office as a whole or the many employees who honorably carry out their responsibilities,” Burkhart said.
Next court date
Online court records cited by WTHR showed Heneghan was being held in the Hancock County Jail on a $5,000 bond and was scheduled for a pretrial conference at 9 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 29. FFP found no published report on whether he has posted bond, entered a plea or hired an attorney, and no defense statement has been reported. Indiana case records can be searched on the state’s MyCase public court portal.
New safeguards and calls for audits
Burkhart said the sheriff’s office had added safeguards a few months earlier, requiring anyone who runs a Flock search to enter a case number or a computer-aided dispatch report number. He said Flock has also added an internal audit feature that flags unusual activity, such as one plate being run too often.
The arrest came the same week Marion County prosecutors charged five Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers with misusing Flock cameras. The privacy group Eyes Off Indiana said the two cases show that audits need to be required by law. “Audits are great, but they’re only great if you decide to run one,” Walker Lasbury of Eyes Off Indiana told WTHR. “We need to codify into law and make it so that every agency must run an audit.”
The case was investigated by Indiana State Police. FFP will update this story after the Oct. 29 hearing or if the merit board acts.
Video: WTHR (Channel 13, Indianapolis) report on the charges against Hancock County, Indiana, deputy James Heneghan.
SYLVANIA — A Sylvania man charged with aggravated murder in the April beating death of his mother-in-law could enter a plea this week, a step that may head off a jury trial now set for December, WTOL 11 reported Monday, Oct. 19.
Jonathan Schmidt faces seven felony charges, including two counts of aggravated murder, in the death of Marcia VanDruten. He is scheduled to appear before Lucas County Common Pleas Court Judge Michael Goulding at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21.
According to a recent court order cited by WTOL, Schmidt’s defense attorneys asked to postpone an Oct. 14 pretrial hearing. The judge moved the hearing to Wednesday and noted it as “plea indicated.” That wording suggests a plea agreement may be possible, but no deal has been publicly confirmed. WTOL said it asked the Lucas County Prosecutor’s Office and Schmidt’s attorney, Peter Rost, to confirm details of the hearing.
Schmidt has pleaded not guilty to all charges. His trial was first set for September but was pushed back while both sides worked through a large volume of evidence. At one hearing, the defense told the court the discovery list had grown to 2,240 items, including videos, phone records and material taken from Schmidt’s vehicle. Judge Goulding later set the trial for Dec. 7.
Investigators allege Schmidt broke into VanDruten’s Sylvania home on April 15 and beat her to death with a crowbar. WTOL has reported that Schmidt and his wife were in a contentious divorce and child custody dispute at the time, and that VanDruten had been subpoenaed by Schmidt’s divorce attorney and had filed an affidavit in that case.
At an earlier hearing, Sylvania Det. Sgt. Justin Music testified that police were first alerted when Schmidt’s mother called dispatchers to say her son was driving through the neighborhood at high speed and might be intoxicated. Music testified that while officers were at Schmidt’s parents’ home, Schmidt called his father on speakerphone and said VanDruten was “probably dead.” Music also testified that Schmidt later told a Toledo Metroparks officer he had “snapped” over the divorce and custody fight. Those statements were described in testimony and have not been tested at trial.
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WICHITA, Kan. — A child and an adult were killed and several other people were hurt Saturday afternoon, Oct. 17, when a pickup truck drove through a soccer game at the Stryker Sports Complex in northeast Wichita, Kansas, police said.
The driver is in custody, and there is “no additional ongoing threat to the public from that driver,” Wichita Police Capt. Aaron Moses, the department’s executive officer, told reporters at an early-evening briefing.
“This is a tragedy,” Moses said.
What police have confirmed
Sedgwick County 911 began receiving multiple calls at about 3:25 p.m. Central time (4:25 p.m. Eastern) reporting that a vehicle had driven through a soccer game at the complex, 2999 N. Greenwich Road near 29th Street North and Greenwich, Moses said. Calls in the county are handled by Sedgwick County Emergency Communications.
Two people, a child and an adult, were pronounced dead at the scene, the Wichita Police Department said in an update posted to its official X account. “Multiple other casualties have been transported to area hospitals,” the department said. Police have not released how many people were hurt or their conditions.
“We have one child who is dead at the scene and one adult,” Moses said, according to KSN. “I’m not going to release the specific ages at this time as we continue to work with notifying family members.” The victims have not been identified.
Moses said the vehicle, a black truck, remained at the scene, and that two juveniles were inside it at the time. He did not say whether they were hurt. He said he did not know how fast the truck was going or how it got onto the field, and that those details remain under investigation. Police have not said what led up to the crash or whether it was intentional.
The driver has not been publicly identified, and no charges have been announced. Anyone charged with a crime is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Video: “Wichita mass casualty event,” FOX54 News Huntsville on YouTube.
Response and cancellations
Wichita police, the Wichita Fire Department, Sedgwick County EMS and other local law enforcement agencies responded, KWCH reported. The Independent reported that the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office and Kansas Highway Patrol were also at the scene. Police asked drivers to stay away from the area of 29th and Greenwich while the investigation continues.
The City of Wichita said all events at the Stryker Sports Complex are canceled until further notice. “We ask that you keep all individuals and families affected in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time,” the city said.
The Kansas State High School Activities Association suspended its state flag football third-place and championship games, which were being played on an adjacent field. “Games will not resume this weekend, but a later announcement will be made with updated game times,” KSHSAA said, adding that details will be announced Monday.
Police ask for video
Wichita police are asking anyone who recorded video of the incident to upload it through the department’s evidence submission portal. “Regardless of how significant you believe your footage may be, we encourage you to submit it. Even the smallest detail could assist investigators,” the department said.
Officials react
“I’m heartbroken by reports of a tragic incident at Stryker Sports Complex. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected, especially the children and families involved,” Wichita Mayor Lily Wu said on social media.
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said she is monitoring the situation and is in touch with Wu, ABC News reported. “My condolences go out to the families of the victims, the survivors, and all those impacted by this event,” Kelly said.
The Stryker Soccer Complex said in a statement, “Our hearts are heavy as we process the tragic events at Stryker today,” and that it is holding “the injured, their families, and all those who witnessed this heartbreaking event close in our thoughts and prayers.”
Wichita police said they expected to hold another news briefing between 7 and 7:30 p.m. Central time Saturday, streamed on the department’s Facebook page.
This is a developing story. The Fostoria Free Press will update it as officials release more information.
Wichita Police Department on X: Update on Stryker Soccer Field Investigation (Oct. 17, 2026) – https://x.com/WichitaPolice/status/2111589454817218728
Wichita Police Department on X: News briefing planned for 7 to 7:30 p.m. (Oct. 17, 2026) – https://x.com/WichitaPolice/status/2111603829141836277
Wichita Police Department: Stryker video submission portal – https://wichitapd.evidence.com/axon/community-request/public/stryker
Sedgwick County Emergency Communications – https://www.sedgwickcounty.org/emergency-communications/
ABC News: At least 2 dead after vehicle drives through soccer game in Wichita, Kansas (Oct. 17, 2026) – https://abcnews.com/US/2-dead-after-truck-drives-soccer-game-wichita/story?id=137352588
CBS News: At least 2 killed after vehicle drives onto soccer field during game in Wichita, Kansas (Oct. 17, 2026) – https://www.cbsnews.com/news/driver-soccer-field-wichita-kansas/
KWCH 12: 1 child, 1 adult killed in mass casualty incident at Stryker Sports Complex (Oct. 17, 2026) – https://www.kwch.com/2026/10/17/breaking-news-injury-accident-stryker-sports-complex/
KWCH 12: All events canceled at Stryker Sports Complex following deadly crash (Oct. 17, 2026) – https://www.kwch.com/2026/10/17/all-events-canceled-stryker-sports-complex-following-deadly-crash/
KWCH 12: KSHSAA suspends flag football championship after deadly crash (Oct. 17, 2026) – https://www.kwch.com/2026/10/17/kshsaa-suspends-flag-football-championship-after-deadly-crash-stryker-sports-complex/
KAKE: Child and adult dead, multiple injured after truck drives through soccer game in Wichita (Oct. 17, 2026) – https://www.kake.com/home/child-and-adult-dead-multiple-injured-after-truck-drives-through-soccer-game-in-wichita/article_d606fc10-07a2-44a0-b4f6-efa3fe755187.html
KSN via FOX4: Police: Mass casualty incident at Wichita sports complex (Oct. 17, 2026) – https://fox4kc.com/news/police-mass-casualty-incident-at-wichita-sports-complex/
CNN via KOCO: 2 killed, multiple injured after vehicle drives onto field during soccer game (Oct. 17, 2026) – https://www.koco.com/article/mass-casualty-field-soccer-game-wichita-sports-complex/74168327
The Independent: Two dead including child after vehicle drives onto Wichita soccer field (Oct. 17, 2026) – https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/wichita-kansas-two-dead-soccer-field-man-arrested-b3068667.html
YouTube, FOX54 News Huntsville: Wichita mass casualty event – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6PFW3JL1Ro
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TIFFIN — Two Honor Buses carrying 46 Seneca County veterans pulled out of the Seneca County Fairgrounds on Friday, Oct. 16, headed for the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania and then Washington, D.C., the Seneca County Sheriff’s Office said.
The Seneca County Sheriff’s Office and the Tiffin Police Department escorted the buses from the fairgrounds to the county line. Sheriff’s Deputy Conrad Schlotterer and Tiffin Police Officer Alec Traxler handled the escort on the first stretch of the three-day trip, according to a post written by Sheri Trusty, the sheriff’s office public relations coordinator.
“This is the first time we’ve taken two buses,” Jenn Pahl, who organizes the trips with Toby and Dottie Colbert, told the sheriff’s office. “And almost every veteran has a companion going with them.”
Welcome home Sunday night
The buses are scheduled to return to the Seneca County Fairgrounds at about 9:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18. The sheriff’s office encouraged the public to come out and greet the veterans to show appreciation and support.
Who’s on board
Among the travelers is Seneca County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Joe Cunningham, who is making the trip with his wife, Candie. Cunningham served in the Marines from 1990 to 1994 in the Security Forces, which the post compared to military police, and was stationed at Camp Lejeune and a naval base in Williamsburg. He said that work led him to a career in law enforcement. In April, he marked 32 years with the sheriff’s office.
“It’s basically law enforcement, so when I got out, that’s what I looked for,” Cunningham said.
Lloyd Creeger, a Navy and Army National Guard veteran, served 40 years beginning in 1972, including more than 19 years of active duty, according to the post. Much of his service was spent aboard ship as a hull technician. He and his son served in Iraq at the same time. His wife, Barbara, is traveling with him.
“Like everyone else, I was drafted, but I got the opportunity to see the world,” Creeger said.
Butler Stephens, a Marine helicopter crew chief from 1977 to 1981 who also played football for the Marines for two years, is on the trip with his wife, Robin.
“I thought that was the best way to improve my life,” Stephens said of enlisting. “It made me a more respectful citizen and gave me a better attitude for life.”
Seneca County Sheriff’s Office, Facebook post “Two Honor Buses leave Tiffin bound for Washington, D.C.” by Sheri Trusty (Oct. 16, 2026) – https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0233FiFgS6xaLN92sTxHbqaQEp7mvwp7UGz3tCQutxemFHUb5tEpgHPSQBuhmBieXul&id=100064670620590
Seneca County Sheriff’s Office official website – https://www.senecacountyso.org/
https://thefostoriafreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/honor-buses-veterans-dcFostoria News.jpg6751200GRK BThttps://thefostoriafreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Screenshot-2025-02-01-at-9.19.31 PM-1030x926.pngGRK BT2026-10-17 19:52:482026-10-17 19:52:48TIFFIN | Two Honor Buses Carry 46 Seneca County Veterans to Washington, D.C.; Public Invited to Welcome Them Home Sunday Night
BEND, Ore. — Police in Bend, Oregon, have identified the gunman in Thursday’s deadly shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School as 16-year-old Griffin J. John II, a former student of the school, and say he was shot and killed by a father who followed him inside.
Three children, boys ages 5, 8 and 11, and a 25-year-old teacher were killed in the attack on Thursday, Oct. 15, the Bend Police Department said. A 7-year-old girl and a 54-year-old teacher were wounded. All of the victims were shot in the same classroom, police said. The teen suspect also died at the scene, bringing the death toll to five.
Bend police released the suspect’s name, Griffin J. John II, in an update on the investigation. Because he died at the scene, no one has been charged in the case.
What police say happened
According to an update from the Bend Police Department released Friday, Oct. 16, the first 911 call came in at 12:59 p.m. Pacific time (3:59 p.m. Eastern) from a person in a vehicle who reported being shot at multiple times by someone with a long gun. Dispatchers then received dozens of calls reporting that a shooter had entered the school on SE Stone Creek Lane in southeast Bend. Officers ordered the school into lockdown at 1:01 p.m., and the first officers arrived at 1:02 p.m.
Police said that at about 12:58 p.m., the suspect approached the fenced rear of the school, threw his weapon over the fence and climbed onto school property. The driver of a pickup truck saw him and confronted him verbally, police said, and the teen fired at the truck, hitting it at least three times. That driver continued down the street and made the first 911 call.
A second driver, a 36-year-old man whose children attend the school, also saw the shooting and pulled into the school parking lot, police said. The suspect then fired through the glass of an exterior set of double doors to force his way inside and went directly into the classroom immediately to the left of the entrance. Police said he fired as many as 15 rounds in all, using 12-gauge birdshot, buckshot and slugs.
The 36-year-old father took a .40-caliber pistol that police said was legally secured in his vehicle, entered through the forced-open doors, saw a teacher in a physical struggle with the suspect and fired, striking him multiple times. The Associated Press identified the father as Kaylub Giamanco.
Police also credited a teacher in the classroom who threw her cellphone at the suspect, then tackled him and fought to take the gun away. She was not injured. Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz called her actions “heroic” at a Friday news conference, the AP reported.
Officers found a Maverick 88 pump-action 12-gauge shotgun and a backpack near the suspect, police said. He had about 44 more rounds of ammunition on him or in the backpack.
Video: “Teenage suspect identified in deadly Bend school shooting,” KIRO 7 News on YouTube.
The victims
Police identified the teacher who was killed as Megan Lambert, 25, of Bend. Her family said in a statement released through police that Silver Rail was her first teaching job and “her dream job,” and that she “always fought for the underdog and those with special needs.” The family also thanked the bystander who intervened, saying, “we are grateful and we think he is a hero.”
The families of two of the children who were killed have asked that their children not be identified. The Fostoria Free Press is not publishing the names of any of the child victims.
Police said the wounded 7-year-old girl is at OHSU in Portland in serious but stable condition. The wounded teacher, identified with her family’s permission as Becky Drury of Bend, is at St. Charles Bend with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, according to police.
The suspect
Krantz said John previously attended Silver Rail Elementary and was not currently enrolled in Bend-La Pine Schools. Superintendent Steven Cook told reporters the teen had been a special needs student at the school and that all of the victims were in a special needs classroom, NBC News reported. Police believe he walked to the school, though the route is still under investigation.
Krantz said a motive has not been determined, ABC News reported. How the suspect obtained the shotgun and ammunition “remains part of the active criminal investigation,” police said. Investigators have executed a search warrant at the suspect’s home, and interviews are ongoing.
The investigation
The Tri-County Major Incident Team is leading the investigation, with roughly 150 law enforcement and first-responder personnel involved, including the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, Redmond Police, Oregon State Police, the FBI and the ATF, police said. Investigators expect to hold the school as a crime scene until at least Tuesday, Oct. 20.
Police are asking anyone with home or vehicle video recorded between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Pacific time on Oct. 15, in the area between Third Street and Brosterhous Road or near the school, to check it for a teenage male about 6 feet tall and 140 pounds wearing black pants, a black T-shirt and a black backpack. The FBI has set up a tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI and an online tip page at FBI.gov/silverrailschool.
Schools and state response
Bend-La Pine Schools said all of its schools will stay closed to students Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 19 and 20, with students returning Wednesday, Oct. 21, on the early-release schedule. Silver Rail Elementary will remain closed until further notice, and counselors and a heightened law enforcement presence will be in place, the district said on its Silver Rail community information page.
“We are stunned and heartbroken by this senseless tragedy,” Cook said in a statement Thursday. “No words can adequately express the grief our community is experiencing.”
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek said in a statement Thursday that the Oregon Department of Emergency Management is coordinating state agencies to support the community. “My heart is absolutely broken,” Kotek said. She also thanked the community member who intervened, saying, “your actions carry a heavy emotional burden.”
Thousands of people gathered Thursday night at a vigil in Bend’s Drake Park, Krantz said. “That is what community looks like,” he said.
This is a developing story. The Fostoria Free Press will update it as officials release more information.
Bend Police Department via FlashAlert: UPDATE: Active shooter incident at Silver Rail Elementary School (Oct. 16, 2026) – https://flashalert.net/id/bendpolice
FBI: Silver Rail Elementary School tip page – https://www.fbi.gov/silverrailschool
Bend-La Pine Schools: Silver Rail Community Information Hub – https://www.blschools.org/news/silver-rail-community-information-hub
Office of Gov. Tina Kotek statement, via Central Oregon Daily News (Oct. 15, 2026) – https://www.centraloregondaily.com/news/local/kotek-statement-on-tragedy-at-silver-rail-elementary-in-bend/article_30802166-3ac0-488e-8ccf-60609d04d49a.html
Associated Press: Teacher threw phone, tackled gunman before father shot him at Oregon elementary school (Oct. 16, 2026) – https://apnews.com/article/oregon-school-shooting-silver-rail-elementary-989180ae6e9aa2ed6a4239c8e3423085
NBC News: Oregon school shooter was 16-year-old former student (updated Oct. 17, 2026) – https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/oregon-school-shooter-identified-16-year-old-john-griffin-ii-whose-mot-rcna603908
ABC News: What we know about teen gunman who police say opened fire at Bend, Oregon school (Oct. 16, 2026) – https://abcnews.com/US/teen-gunman-police-opened-fire-bend-oregon-school/story?id=137326656
NPR: Suspect in deadly Oregon elementary school shooting was a former student (Oct. 17, 2026) – https://www.npr.org/2026/10/17/nx-s1-6006236/suspect-in-deadly-oregon-elementary-school-shooting-was-a-former-student
OPB: New details emerge in Bend school shooting (Oct. 17, 2026) – https://www.opb.org/article/2026/10/17/bend-school-shooting-day2-opb-first-look/
KPTV FOX 12: 2 victims still hospitalized after Bend school shooting (Oct. 17, 2026) – https://www.kptv.com/2026/10/17/2-victims-still-hospitalized-after-bend-school-shooting/
The Source Weekly: Bend-La Pine Schools closed through Tuesday (Oct. 17, 2026) – https://www.bendsource.com/news/localnews/bend-la-pine-schools-closed-through-tuesday-as-community-grieves-shooting-deaths/
YouTube, KIRO 7 News: Teenage suspect identified in deadly Bend school shooting – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x865uMKx_Y
https://thefostoriafreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/bend-school-shooting-policeFostoria News.jpg9861744GRK BThttps://thefostoriafreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Screenshot-2025-02-01-at-9.19.31 PM-1030x926.pngGRK BT2026-10-17 19:44:452026-10-17 19:55:02BREAKING | 16-Year-Old Former Student Identified as Gunman Who Killed 3 Children and a Teacher at Bend Elementary School
WHITEHOUSE — A 27-year-old Whitehouse man is facing charges after police say he fired several shots at apartment buildings outside his home earlier this week, then hurt an officer while resisting arrest, 13abc reported early Saturday, Oct. 17, citing police.
Police identified the man as Kyle McCue, 27.
What police say happened
Officers were called to a report of shots fired on Monday, Oct. 12, at Andover Court Apartments in the 6500 block of Field Avenue. Police say McCue fired several rounds at buildings in the complex.
No one was shot. After a brief standoff, McCue was arrested, police said. One officer was hurt. The officer was treated at the scene and then taken to the University of Toledo Medical Center for a shoulder injury, according to police.
Police found several shell casings on McCue’s front porch after the arrest, and officers who searched his apartment with a warrant found guns and ammunition inside, according to the police report. Part of the encounter was recorded by a neighbor’s doorbell camera, 13abc reported.
Charges and court
McCue is charged with improperly discharging a firearm at or into a habitation, inducing panic, and resisting arrest causing physical harm to a law enforcement officer. Bond was set at $70,000 on Oct. 13, and his next court appearance is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 22.
The charges are accusations only. McCue is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty in court.
#Whitehouse #LucasCounty #ShotsFired #Arrest
Sources
13abc (WTVG): Whitehouse man charged after allegedly firing gun at apartments (Oct. 17, 2026, 12:32 a.m., citing Whitehouse police) – https://www.13abc.com/2026/10/17/whitehouse-man-charged-after-allegedly-firing-gun-apartments/
Maumee Municipal Court – https://www.maumee.org/175/Municipal-Court
Village of Whitehouse: Court jurisdiction – https://whitehouseoh.gov/departments/police-department/court-jurisdiction/
https://thefostoriafreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/nighttime-apartment-shootingFostoria News.jpg6751200GRK BThttps://thefostoriafreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Screenshot-2025-02-01-at-9.19.31 PM-1030x926.pngGRK BT2026-10-17 11:01:262026-10-17 11:01:26WHITEHOUSE | Man, 27, Charged After Police Say He Fired Shots at Apartment Buildings; Officer Hurt During Arrest
FINDLAY — A Findlay woman was taken to the hospital with potentially serious injuries Friday evening, Oct. 16, after her car struck the back of a semi-trailer on Bright Road, according to a news release from the Findlay Police Department.
Police identified the driver as Nancy Coffman of Findlay.
Coffman was driving a 2008 Hyundai Elantra north on Bright Road, just south of North Romick Parkway, behind a semi-truck pulling a 2022 Great Dane trailer, police said. The truck’s driver, Abdiaziz Mumin of Columbus, began slowing for traffic, and Coffman’s car hit the rear of the trailer, according to the release.
HANCO EMS took Coffman to Blanchard Valley Hospital. The release did not give any further details on her condition and did not mention any injury to Mumin.
Police said Coffman was issued a citation. The crash remains under investigation.
The Findlay Fire Department, HANCO EMS and R and A Towing assisted at the scene.
The police release was published by WFIN on Saturday morning. Contact information for the department is available on the City of Findlay Police Department page.
#Findlay #HancockCounty #CarWreck
Sources
WFIN: Local resident injured in Bright Road Accident (news release from the City of Findlay Police Department, Oct. 17, 2026) – https://wfin.com/local-news/local-resident-injured-in-bright-road-accident/
City of Findlay Police Department – https://www.findlayohio.gov/government/city-departments/police
https://thefostoriafreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/woman-hurt-bright-road-semi-crFostoria News.jpg6751200GRK BThttps://thefostoriafreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Screenshot-2025-02-01-at-9.19.31 PM-1030x926.pngGRK BT2026-10-17 10:59:242026-10-17 11:00:10FINDLAY | Woman Taken to Hospital With Potentially Serious Injuries After Car Strikes Rear of Semi-Trailer on Bright Road
TOLEDO — A 61-year-old Toledo man is in the Lucas County Jail on rape and strangulation charges after a woman reported an assault in west Toledo on Friday, Oct. 16, according to Toledo police records reported by WTOL 11.
Police identified the man as Michael Taylor, 61.
What police allege
According to the police records, Taylor punched the woman and strangled her several times, then forced her to undress and forced sexual contact. Police wrote that the woman had bruising, swelling and throat pain.
The woman was the source of the information in the report, and police wrote that Taylor was identified by the victim and through police resources, WTOL reported.
Taylor was arrested and booked into the Lucas County Jail the same day the report was made. His next court date had not been released as of Friday night.
FFP is not identifying the woman or the exact location of the reported assault.
Presumed innocent
The charges are accusations only. Taylor is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty in court.
Survivors of sexual assault can reach the National Sexual Assault Hotline, run by RAINN, any time at 800-656-4673.
#Toledo #LucasCounty #ToledoPolice #Arrest
Sources
WTOL 11: Toledo man arrested on rape, strangulation charges (Oct. 16, 2026, 10:17 p.m., citing Toledo police records) – https://www.wtol.com/article/news/crime/toeldo-man-arrested-on-rape-strangulation-charge-michael-taylor/512-73c58b0d-59fd-4902-aba2-a1e7b8064d13
Toledo Police Department – https://toledopolice.com/
Lucas County Sheriff’s Office – https://lucascountysheriff.org/
https://thefostoriafreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/toledo-police-news-rape-strangFostoria News.jpg6751200GRK BThttps://thefostoriafreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Screenshot-2025-02-01-at-9.19.31 PM-1030x926.pngGRK BT2026-10-16 23:05:282026-10-16 23:05:28TOLEDO | Man, 61, Charged With Rape and Strangulation After Woman Reports Assault in West Toledo
