Early Saturday morning in Midvale, a quiet stretch of Main Street suddenly filled with flashing lights and tactical gear after deputies say a man stepped onto his front porch and fired a handgun while his children were nearby. A reverse-911 alert told neighbors to shelter in place as a multi-agency SWAT team surrounded the home. Once officers made entry, they reported finding a firearm inside, along with a fresh-looking spent shell casing on the porch. A man was taken into custody, and authorities say no injuries were reported as the case moves forward under active investigation.
Police response and scene
According to News 5 Cleveland, Tuscarawas County deputies were alerted just before 6 a.m. to a report from the 2200 block of Main Street in Midvale. The sheriff's office told the station the suspect was allegedly intoxicated when he fired a round from his porch in close proximity to his children, which triggered the shelter-in-place alert and the callout for the county SWAT team. Investigators said officers breached the front door, used a flash-bang diversion device, and then deployed a drone inside the house to help locate the suspect. A firearm was recovered at the scene, and the sheriff's office told the outlet that "no force was used to effect the arrest."
What authorities say about the suspect
Tuscarawas County Sheriff Orvis Campbell told Jordan Miller News that deputies were first called after the man's daughter raised alarms about his behavior. Deputies ultimately found him inside the home. Local reporting identified the suspect as 42-year-old Joshua A. Shank and stated that he was taken into custody without resistance. No injuries were reported, and the sheriff's detective bureau is handling the follow-up investigation.
Charges and legal context
"Shank is being held in the Tuscarawas County Jail for review of a third-degree felony charge of having weapons while under disability," Jordan Miller News reported. The outlet added that prosecutors are reviewing additional possible misdemeanor and felony counts, including alleged domestic-violence and intoxication-related weapons offenses. In Ohio, "having weapons while under disability" is a third-degree felony defined in Section 2923.13 of the Ohio Revised Code, which outlines the conditions that can bar a person from possessing a firearm and the elements prosecutors must prove. The exact list of charges will be set out in court filings once investigators finish their review.
Investigators say they are continuing to conduct interviews, and the case will be submitted to the Tuscarawas County prosecutor's office for review before any formal charges are filed. Authorities have asked residents with information to contact the sheriff's office. This story will be updated as new filings and records become available.
