A 63-year-old woman was shot in the face outside a home in the 500 block of W. 18th Street in Lorain yesterday evening, and police arrested a family member who lives with her within hours. Officers say the woman was responsive when emergency crews took her from the scene, and she was rushed to a nearby trauma hospital for treatment.
The shooting happened around 5:22 p.m. yesterday, according to the Lorain Police Department, which said officers arriving at the scene found the woman outside the home suffering from a gunshot wound to the face. As reported by FOX 8 News, investigators identified 40-year-old Jonathan Lopez-Hance, a relative who lives in the home with the victim, as the suspect, and he was arrested and taken to the Lorain County Jail.
Lopez-Hance now faces charges of felonious assault and domestic violence, per the police department. Investigators have not yet determined a motive for the shooting, and the station's report notes that additional charges could still follow as the investigation continues.
Victim Rushed to Trauma Center in Elyria
Emergency crews transported the woman to University Hospitals Elyria Medical Center, according to investigators. The 630 E. River St. facility operates as an adult Level III Trauma Center providing round-the-clock emergency surgical care and serves as western Lorain County's primary destination for severe physical trauma, per University Hospitals. Her current condition has not been disclosed.
Public arrest records show Lopez-Hance was booked into the Lorain County Jail on Wednesday, according to Busted Newspaper Lorain County OH. The investigation is being overseen by Lorain police under Chief Michael Failing, who took over the department in late 2025 after the retirement of former chief Jim McCann.
Charges Carry Serious Penalties Under Ohio Law
Felonious assault involving a deadly weapon is a second-degree felony under Ohio Revised Code § 2903.11, carrying a mandatory two to eight years in state prison and fines up to $15,000, according to Zukerman Law. Domestic violence charges involving physical harm are typically first-degree misdemeanors under Ohio Revised Code § 2919.25, but the offense elevates to a fourth-degree felony carrying 6 to 18 months in prison if the accused has prior domestic violence convictions.
A felonious assault conviction cannot be expunged or sealed from a criminal record in Ohio and triggers a permanent federal ban on firearm possession, per Funkhouser Law. Ohio courts also have the authority to issue immediate Temporary Protection Orders at arraignment in domestic violence cases, legally removing an accused abuser from a shared residence and barring contact while charges are pending, according to Jwayyed Law LLC. It remains unknown whether such an order has been sought or issued in this case, or whether police had responded to prior domestic calls at the residence.
Part of a Statewide Surge in Domestic Gun Violence
The shooting adds to a documented statewide trend: domestic violence fatalities across Ohio surged 37% to 157 deaths between July 2024 and June 2025, with firearms involved in 84% of those cases, according to an annual report from the Ohio Domestic Violence Network. Lorain County residents seeking help have access to Genesis House, the county's only dedicated emergency domestic violence shelter, operated by the Lorain County Safe Harbor Corporation, which provides more than 1,500 nights of lodging and legal advocacy to abuse victims annually.
The W. 18th Street shooting is the latest in a string of violent incidents Lorain police have investigated in recent weeks, following two homicide probes on Washington Avenue and a fatal shooting at a short-term rental earlier this month that left two teenagers dead. No further details on the victim's medical status or any additional charges had been released as of Friday night.
