LORAIN, Ohio (WOIO) – A candlelight vigil is taking place Thursday in Lorain to support three city police officers shot in an ambush.
Community members will gather at 9 p.m. at the Lorain City Hall and Police Memorial.
Officers Phillip Wagner, Brent Payne and Peter Gale were shot in an ambush around 1 p.m. Wednesday in the area of Missouri and Colorado avenues in Lorain.
The name was released Thursday of the deceased suspected shooter, identified by the coroner and police as Michael Parker, 28.
The Lorain County Coroner identified the suspect as Michael Parker, 28.(Elyria Police Department)
Officers Wagner and 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.”
Peter Gale, Brent Payne, Phillip Wagner(Lorain Police Department)
Failing said Parker then opened fire with a high-powered rifle, hitting both officers, who returned fire.
Officer Payne called for backup while en route 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.
Elyria Police Chief James Welsh said officers returned fire, and during the exchange, Parker was fatally injured.
The shooting prompted a large response by surrounding law enforcement agencies, who conducted a widespread search to confirm there was no ongoing threat to public safety, according to a release from Elyria Police.
According to police, Parker had parked his car near the dead-end of River Bend Drive.
Inside the vehicle, officers found multiple high-powered rifles, handguns and a substantial amount of loaded magazines.
Elyria Police said that while officers were securing the car, they found suspicious baggage, raising concerns about possible explosives.
The Lorain County Bomb Squad discovered “a significant quantity of improvised explosive materials” in the car, which were later disposed of through a controlled detonation away from the crime scene, according to a release.
The Lorain County Bomb Squad technicians discovered “a significant quantity of improvised explosive materials” in the car.(Elyria Police Department)
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI) found that Parker fired a large number of rounds during the encounter.
Lorain Service Director Rey Carrion confirmed the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office searched Parker’s home on North Lakeview Boulevard around 6 p.m. Wednesday.
According to the release, the Lorain County SWAT team swept the home and found no explosives.
This incident has deeply impacted all of us in law enforcement. Our hearts are with the officers who were injured, their families, and the entire Lorain Police Department during this incredibly difficult time. We want to extend our sincere gratitude to all of the agencies that responded swiftly and selflessly during this critical incident. The coordinated efforts of our regional law enforcement partners—including tactical teams, bomb technicians, patrol units, and investigators—were instrumental in ensuring public safety, securing the scene, and advancing this complex investigation. In moments of crisis, it’s the strength of our partnerships that carries us through.
Elyria police are handling the investigation, and the department has called the Ohio BCI 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.”
MORE: Northeast Ohio police departments: ‘Hearts are heavy’ for Lorain officers shot in ambush
Anyone with information is asked to contact Lieutenant Tom Wade at 440-326-1362 or via email at wade@cityofelyria.org
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