COLUMBIANA COUNTY, OH — A 4-year-old child is dead after a shooting in Columbiana County Wednesday afternoon, according to the St. Clair Township Police Department.
A police officer was also hit in the gunfire.
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It all started when St. Clair Township Police say they received a call about a possible suicidal man.
Officers say they found Joseph Como walking down the street and tried to talk to him. That’s when Como opened fire, according to police.
Police officers returned fire and struck him, according to a spokesperson with the St. Clair Township Police Department.
A 4-year-old girl at a nearby dentist officer was struck by a bullet during the shootout, according to investigators.
Police identified her as Rosalie Carey. The department wrote on Facebook they were praying for her family, calling her death “terribly tragic.”
Investigators are not yet sure who fired the shot that killed the girl, according to WKRC-TV.
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A St. Clair police officer was shot in the head during the exchange of gunfire, WOIO-19 reported.
The officer was flown to an area hospital in critical condition.
St Clair Township Police posted on Facebook Thursday the officer is stable and was able to give a thumbs up.
Thursday 1/23 8:45 AM St. Clair Township Police Detective Dakota Wetzel remains in stable condition at UPMC...
Posted by St Clair Township Police on Thursday, January 23, 2025
“We’re trying to gather information as fast as we can so we can update the community. Right now, we need the community to pray for our officer and the child who were shot,” St. Clair Township Police Chief Brian McKenzie said.
Ohio BCI is investigating this shooting, according to WOIO-19.
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