Police name suspect in Ohio shooting spree

By Leigh Remizowski, CNN

August 8, 2011 

(CNN) -- Police have identified Michael E. Hance, 51, as the suspect behind a shooting rampage in Ohio on Sunday in which a man gunned down seven people before police killed him.

Hance allegedly shot his girlfriend, Rebecca Dieter, 49, at the home they shared at about 11 a.m. before running through his Copley Township neighborhood and claiming six other victims, police said at a news conference on Monday.

"No words can adequately express the loss experienced by the families of the victims and the community at large," said Copley Township Police Chief Michael Mier. He described the community, which lies about seven miles west of Akron, as having a very low violent crime rate.

Dieter is the only victim who survived the shooting spree. She is currently at a local hospital after suffering multiple gunshot wounds, Mier said.

The spree continued at an adjacent house where Hance allegedly shot and killed Autumn Johnson, 16, and her grandparents, Russell Johnson, 67 and Gudrun Johnson, 64, according to detective Joe Krunich.

Craig Dieter, 51 -- Rebecca's brother -- and an unidentified 16-year-old were also killed at the second crime scene.

Krunich said Hance then chased Bryan Johnson, 44 -- the father of Autumn Johnson -- northward, where he was shot to death in a nearby driveway.

He then followed victim Craig Dieter's son, 11-year-old Scott Dieter, into a neighboring house where he was then shot and killed, Krunich said.

As Hance was leaving the house, police surrounded the shooter "and issued some commands," Mier said. "The suspect did not obey or go along with the commands, and the suspect was shot," he said.

Authorities said Hance used two handguns in the shootings.

"We have no idea what prompted this incident whatsoever," Krunich said.

Residents held a candlelight vigil Sunday evening, according to CNN affiliate WJW-TV.

One neighbor said residents were shocked and baffled by the shooting and would likely never get a full explanation.

"The killer's gone. We'll never know," the neighbor said.