Police say a 25-year-old Cleveland man turned a slow Wednesday into a stunt show outside the Mayfield Schools cosmetology campus, allegedly brandishing a handgun to impress teenage girls near the program’s building before driving off and getting pulled over in Euclid.
Two students in the Excel TECC Cosmetology Program at 215 Alpha Park told officers they saw a man holding a gun as they arrived for afternoon classes, according to Cleveland19. The teens did not stick around to see what happened next. They “drove away,” alerted adults, and set off a fast-moving police response.
Highland Heights officers began canvassing the area while staff at the Mayfield Schools site increased on-campus patrols. The school went on alert as officers worked from the students’ description of the suspect’s vehicle, according to the station.
Police later spotted the car and tailed it from Cleveland into Euclid, where they finally stopped the vehicle and detained the driver, as reported by Cleveland.com. The 25-year-old was charged with conveyance of a firearm in a school zone.
According to the outlet, the man told investigators he believed he was legally carrying the weapon and claimed he had been DoorDash-ing and had dropped off a phone charger at a nearby business.
What police and the district said
In a message to families that was later shared by Cleveland19, Mayfield City Schools confirmed that the students “drove away” after spotting the weapon and reported what they saw. The district said it boosted police presence at the Excel TECC site and urged families to “remain vigilant” and to report anything that seems off.
Highland Heights police said the investigation is ongoing. Officers and school officials are asking anyone who may have additional information or video of the incident to contact investigators. The case has been handed over to prosecutors and will work its way through the courts, according to Cleveland.com.
Legal implications
Ohio law takes weapons near schools seriously. Under Ohio Revised Code section 2923.122, it is a crime to knowingly convey a deadly weapon into a school safety zone. That definition includes school buildings, grounds, and parking lots, and it also covers items that are indistinguishable from real firearms.
