The gunman outside the school was an off-duty officer: Team I

PAINESVILLEOhio (WJW) – Authorities are investigating a shooting that occurred Thursday in the parking lot of a local elementary school. The FOX 8 I Team was the first to reveal this story.

Cleveland police officers confirmed this information FOX 8 I Team that an off-duty Cleveland police officer was arrested at the scene.

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Lake County Sheriff Frank Leonbruno identified the officer as Alexander Sinclair in a social media post Thursday.

The shooting happened just after 9 a.m. outside Riverview Elementary School in Painesville Borough.

Riverside Schools released new information Thursday afternoon:

“At approximately 9:10 a.m., Riverview Elementary School was placed on lockdown due to a domestic disturbance that began off school property and then moved to the Riverview Elementary School parking lot,” the district said in a statement. “During this dispute, shots were fired near vehicles in the parking lot, away from the school towards Madison Avenue. The shot was not fired at the school. As a result, no serious injuries were reported.”

After law enforcement arrived at the scene, the school was placed on lockdown.

Leonbruno said the school’s assistant principal learned of the disturbance and approached two vehicles believed to be involved. Then he heard a single shot.

He saw a man with a gun outside the vehicle and ordered him to drop the gun. The man dropped the gun and the deputy detained him.

Sources say Team I that the incident started as a fight between adults.

Leonbruno said Sinclair’s vehicle collided with the second vehicle, at which point Sinclair approached the second vehicle from the passenger side and shot through the car’s windshield. He added that the shot was fired away from the school.

According to “Rzeczpospolita”, no one was shot Team IHowever, the deputy suffered a hand injury in the incident, and the woman and child were taken to a nearby hospital as a precaution, although they were reportedly uninjured.

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Sources say Team I Sinclair was tasered by a school social worker and also taken to hospital.

He has since been held in the Lake County Jail awaiting charges related to the shooting, Leonbruno said.

“It is important to recognize the Lake County Sheriff’s Office’s connection to the Riverside Local School District and the hard work that goes into ensuring that a deputy is assigned to every school in the district,” Leonbruno wrote. “Without this solution, the deputy would not have arrived on scene quickly enough to take the heroic actions he did, ensuring the safety of all children and staff. His quick and decisive response certainly prevented this incident from escalating further.”

Shortly after 10:00 a.m., Riverview Elementary School published on X that there is no further threat and the school is no longer closed.

“The school day will continue as normal, but if parents wish to pick up their child, they can come to school and register their child,” the post reads.

“We want to confirm that there was no threat to staff or students at any time,” Riverside Schools said. “All safety protocols have been implemented and followed. Local law enforcement remained on scene throughout the morning to assist with classroom and building security checks, direct traffic and assist students with check-out. Additionally, grief counselors from Signature Health were called to the school and were available to any students and staff who needed someone to talk to. Madison Avenue reopened around noon.

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