DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — Four people were shot to death in an Ohio neighborhood, and a man considered armed and dangerous was being sought, authorities said.
Police in Montgomery County’s Butler Township said officers were called to the area shortly before noon Friday on a report of shots fired. Chief John Porter said four victims with gunshot wounds were found at “multiple crime scenes” and all were pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said they were seeking 39-year-old Stephen Marlow, who was believed to have fled the area in a sport utility vehicle. They warned anyone seeing him or the vehicle to call 911 “and not approach him as he is still likely to be armed and dangerous.”
Porter said police don’t believe there is any ongoing threat to the neighborhood but officers would remain in the area in case he returns. The names of the victims haven’t yet been released and Porter said it wasn’t immediately clear what led to the shooting.
“We are working to determine if there is any motive to this horrible tragedy or if mental illness played any role,” Porter said. He called the shooting “the first violent crime in this neighborhood in recent memory.”
The Dayton Daily News reports that Marlow had gotten off probation in February on aggravated burglary and aggravated menacing charges stemming from a July 2019 incident in the Dayton suburb of Vandalia, according to Montgomery County court records.
Vandalia closed a number of public areas Saturday as a precaution following the shooting, including the recreation center, Cassel Hills golf course and pool and the city’s senior citizens center, the paper reported.
Court documents don’t list an attorney representing Marlow; a message seeking comment was left Saturday at a number listed in his name.
