An Ohio police department said it is investigating a homicide/suicide that resulted in the deaths of two adults and two children on Wednesday.
“As a community, we are not accustomed to events of this horrific and heartbreaking nature in Tiffin,” Tiffin Police Chief David Pauly said in a statement.
What To Know
The Tiffin Police Department responded to the 100 block of Huss Street at about 6:24 p.m. Wednesday following a report of gunshots and sounds of screaming.
Officers found four people inside the residence—an adult male and two male children suffering from apparent gunshot wounds and an adult female “who was physically uninjured but clearly in state of shock, overwhelmed and visibly traumatized.”
Police said the investigation determined that the incident happened while a mother of two children attempted to remove belongings from the residence following ongoing domestic issues in the home.
Police said the father of the woman’s eldest child, 29-year-old Dustin Willey, had agreed to assist her in moving out while her husband, 42-year-old Ryan Eagon, was believed to be working out of town.
Evidence indicates that the woman and Willey were inside the home while the children, ages 7 years and 7 months, were outside near a vehicle, police said. Police said the woman and Willey heard the 7-year-old cry out and went to check on him. They then observed Eagon in the driveway.
“According to witness statements and physical evidence, Ryan immediately chased Dustin, pushing past the mother and firing multiple shots. Ryan then turned the gun on the children, fatally shooting both before directing additional gunfire at Dustin. Ryan Eagon subsequently took his own life with a single gunshot wound,” police said.
The mother told officials that she carried the children back inside before law enforcement arrived.
Eagon and the 7-month-old were pronounced dead at the scene. Willey and the 7-year-old were taken to a local hospital, where they died.
Police said they will not be releasing the mother’s name, saying: “We ask all media outlets and members of the public to respect her privacy during this unthinkably difficult time.”
Police said the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation was requested to process the scene.
“This incident remains an active investigation by the Tiffin Police Department with assistance from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and the Seneca County Coroner’s Office. Autopsies are pending,” the Tiffin Police Department said.
What People Are Saying
Tiffin Police Chief David Pauly, in a statement: “I ask that all residents keep the victims’ families in their thoughts as they face unimaginable loss. I also ask that our community keep the responding officers, firefighters, dispatchers, emergency medical personnel, and all others involved in their thoughts as they continue to process the emotional toll of this tragedy.”
What Happens Next
The Tiffin Police Department said additional information will be released “as it becomes available and as the investigation allows.”
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