The campus of Case Western Reserve University was thrust into chaos on Wednesday evening when two armed suspects attempted to evade police following a traffic stop that quickly escalated into an officer-involved shooting. The incident prompted the university to issue a shelter-in-place notice, stirring tensions among students and faculty.
As reported by Cleveland19 News, the Ohio State Highway Patrol identified the suspects as 18-year-old Leon Terrell and 19-year-old Noreonna Echols, with Terrell having a criminal history that dates back to his mid-teens. The chase ensued after the suspect's Kia, which lacked proper license plates, failed to pull over on Woodland Avenue in downtown Cleveland. A tire deflation device effectively stopped the car, leading the suspects to attempt, unsuccessfully, to hijack nearby vehicles.
According to a statement obtained by Cleveland.com, the foot chase culminated near the university's Tomlinson Hall on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, where Terrell was shot in the leg. A firearm was recovered at the scene. Details regarding the number of shots fired or whether Terrell shot at officers were not disclosed by the Highway Patrol.
While Echols briefly re-entered the disabled Kia only to he was quickly stopped and apprehended without further incident. Following the suspects' capture, Case Western lifted the lockdown, which had lasted for 45 minutes. "I wanted to write this evening to first express my deepest gratitude to law enforcement officers—both Case Western Reserve University’s own and those outside the university—for protecting our campus this evening when two suspects fled onto our campus," said CWRU President Eric Kaler, in a statement sent to FOX8.
The shooting is now under investigation by the Cleveland Division of Police Force Investigation Team. The recent event marked the second instance in the span of four months that a police chase happened across Case Western's campus, once again unsettling the university community and highlighting recurring safety concerns.
