2 Ohio men fatally shot by police after earlier security incident in remote area, sheriff’s office says

By Isa Kaufman Geballe, Kiely Westhoff and Samantha Beech, CNN

Two men were shot and killed by police in Knox County, Ohio, after the local emergency management agency earlier notified residents to shelter in place, according to the Knox County Sheriff’s Office.

Around 9 a.m. Saturday, two men were killed following a call over a shooting at a property late Friday, said Knox County Sheriff’s Office Captain Jay Sheffer.

No police officers have been injured, Sheffer told reporters during brief remarks.

A Knox County resident, Molly Mayne, took photos of SWAT vehicles in the area and told CNN she heard gunshots sometime after 12:30 a.m. on Saturday.

Police did not provide details of what led to the officer-involved shooting. Sheffer said aside from the two men shot dead, one person was “safely extracted from a residence before the shooting occurred.” He said after the shooting, “one more person was safely removed from the residence.”

On Saturday, the Knox County Emergency Management Agency advised local residents on Facebook to shelter in place following the “shots fired” call.

“Residents may see a law enforcement helicopters and vehicles in the area,” the 7:30 a.m. advisory read. “Stay indoors, close and lock doors and windows. All persons are being asked to avoid area until further notice.”

A second advisory at 10 a.m. said police were working to secure the property, adding, “Residents are no longer being asked to shelter in place but still requested to avoid the area.”

CNN has reached out to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, which is looking into the officer-involved shooting.

Around 60,000 people live in Knox County, Ohio, according to the US Census. The county is about one hour’s drive from Columbus and is predominantly rural with farming listed as the area’s biggest employer.

Sheffer said it’s been “many, many years” since the area has dealt with an officer-involved shooting, adding that this was the first incident that occurred since he was employed by the county in 2013.

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CNN’s Sharif Paget and Alex Medieros contributed to this report.