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An Ohio family is mourning after their loved one was killed in a Taco Bell drive-thru in an apparent murder-suicide, local police said.
A Taco Bell employee called the Stow Police Department at 7:19 p.m. on Wednesday to report that a vehicle struck the back of a woman’s car in the drive-thru line, Chief Jeffrey Film said during a news conference on Thursday. As officers were responding to the “private property crash,” they received several 911 calls about a shooting at the same location, he added.
Witnesses at the scene told police that a man in the drive-thru line exited his vehicle, approached the car in front of him, and shot the driver, Film said. The man then used the gun to kill himself, according to the chief.
The Summit County Medical Examiner identified the woman as 25-year-old Megan Keleman, from Stow, and the man as 53-year-old Jason Williams, also from Stow, Film said.
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Why did Jason Williams shoot Megan Keleman?
Williams’ motivation is unknown, but detectives are continuing to gather evidence to figure out why he shot Keleman and himself, according to Film. Authorities do not have any information indicating that the two knew one another before the shooting, he said.
Witnesses also told detectives that Williams began blowing his horn at Keleman when she pulled in front of him in the drive-thru line, the chief said. Williams then struck the rear of Keleman’s vehicle, prompting her to use the drive-thru speaker to ask the employee to call 911. Moments later, Williams shot Keleman, and then himself, according to Film.
“As a chief of police and a community leader, I would like to say this is a true tragedy,” Film said. “Not only did the Kelemans lose a daughter, but we as a community lost one of our daughters. We are all parents, and we do not at this time have the answer to why this happened, and we may never know why.”
‘Our family is enduring an immensely painful loss’
Stow Police Lt. Heather Prusha read a written statement from Keleman’s family during the news conference.
“In light of recent events, our family is enduring an immensely painful loss of Megan Elizabeth Keleman,” the statement read. “We appreciate the community support and hope that our request for privacy will be honored so that we can continue to focus on supporting each other through this difficult period.”
Keleman was a recent graduate from Cleveland State University, where she received her master’s degree in business administration and bachelor’s degree in finance and financial management services, according to her social media pages.
She described herself on her LinkedIn page as a “child advocate and bookkeeper.” She worked for Shelter Care Inc., a Tallmadge, Ohio-based residential treatment program for children between the ages of 6 and 18 who have emotional or behavioral problems.
During the shooting, a dog was also in Keleman’s car, according to the chief. The dog is now with Keleman’s family after officers took it to a rescue to be washed, he added.
Stow ‘does not have that many homicides’
The city of Stow “does not have that many homicides,” which is why the department contacted the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) to assist in the investigation, according to Film.
“In a situation like this, we want to do the best job that we possibly can, and with their added resources… I think that will help us make a determination of how this happened,” the chief said about the BCI’s involvement.
The last time Stow had a homicide was five or six years ago, Film said.
“Our community is a great community, it’s a safe community,” he said. “This is just a tragic event that we’re dealing with now and trying to understand.”
Taco Bell helping authorities
Taco Bell, which closed its Stow location following the shooting, shared a statement to the Akron Beacon Journal − part of the USA TODAY Network.
“Our priority is to consider the team’s well-being and proceed at their pace,” the statement read.
The fast food chain also expressed shock over the shooting and confirmed that the franchise owner and operator were working with authorities amid their investigation and offering support to team members who were present during the incident.
Contributing: Alisson Toro-Lagos/ Akron Beacon Journal
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Taco Bell shooting in Stow, Ohio being investigated as murder-suicide
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