Rowan Sweeney Struthers, Ohio four year old boy killed, four others wounded when gunman barged into home shooting at victims. Assailant remains at large.
Ohio police are searching for a man who walked into a family’s home and opened fire early Tuesday morning, killing a four-year-old boy and wounding four adults, two critically.
The mass shooting took place at around 2am inside the living room of a two-story home in the 100 block of Perry Street in Struthers on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border.
Struthers Police Chief Tim Roddy said during a press briefing that the gunman made his way inside the home and began yelling at the people inside.
Before the residents had a chance to respond, the intruder opened fire inside the living room, reported WKBN27.
Roddy identified the deceased child this afternoon as four-year-old Rowan Sweeney. He died in the arms of his mother, 22-year-old Alexis Schneider, who was also shot.
Struthers shooting suspect surrenders: history of prior crime
No known motive
Yarnell Green Jr, 30, and 20-year-old Andre Stephon McCoy Jr were in critical condition at St. Elizabeth Health Center, one of them suffering from two gunshot wounds to the head and the other from two gunshot wounds to the back.
Both Schneider and Cassandra Marsicola, 20, were hospitalized in stable condition after being shot in the legs.
The suspect ran away from the home on foot. Police said the surviving victims told them they did not know the gunman. No known motive was known.
Marsicola called 911 to report the incident, saying that everyone in the house had been shot.
Schneider could be heard yelling on the call, ‘My son is dead.’
Neighbors reported hearing five to eight gunshots but did not see the suspect.
The two injured women were described as friends. They are cooperating with the investigation.
Coward & scumbag
David Sweeney, Rowan’s father, who was not at the home at the time of the shooting during a press conference called his son’s killer a ‘coward’ and a ‘scumbag,’ and urged him to ‘be a man’ and turn himself in.
‘Rowan was the sweetest boy,’ the distraught father said. ‘Rowan was the best. He is so young. He didn’t deserve any of this… buddy, I’m so sorry, for you, buddy. I love you.’
Then addressing the killer directly, Sweeney said: ‘you’re sick, dude. you’re sick. You took my son from me…you can live with that for the rest of your life.’
Police described the suspect as a thin, light-skinned black man who was last seen wearing a black jacket.
Chief Roddy stressed that it was not a random act of violence but rather a targeted attack.
According to the chief, investigators have several ‘good’ leads they are following at this time.
He also revealed that police had been called to the home a week ago for a report of a drug overdose involving one of the people who were shot on Monday.
When officers arrived on the scene, the person who overdosed had fled and had to be chased to make sure he received treatment.
The Mahoning County Homicide Task Force and several police departments in the area are helping Struthers police with the investigation.