A Lorain police officer died a day after a gunman open fired in what police are calling an "ambush."
Phillip Wagner, 35, died Thursday evening. Authorities say he was one of three officers "ambushed" Wednesday afternoon by Michael Parker, who shot at Wagner and fellow officer Peter Gale as they ate lunch in their cruisers.
Officer Brent Payne was shot multiple times when he came to help.
Hundreds of residents gathered in Lorain Thursday night to mourn Wagner and show support for the two wounded officers.
Police say officers returned fire, shooting and killing Parker.
Wagner and Payne were airlifted to MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland. Gale was treated at Mercy Health - Lorain Hospital.
“Officer Wagner’s life and service to our city will never be forgotten,” Acting Lorain Police Chief Michael Failing said in a statement. “On behalf of the Wagner family, we extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who has reached out in support. Our department mourns the loss of a true hero and stands in unwavering support of Officer Wagner’s family, friends, and fellow officers during this heartbreaking time.”
Failing says Payne, the other seriously wounded officer, insisted on being present when Wagner's body was wheeled out of the hospital. Payne had been in surgery hours earlier. The chief says Payne still faces a half-dozen surgeries.
The third officer, Peter Gale, suffered broken bones in his hand from a gunshot wound and will be "out for a while," according to Failing.
Wagner, who served as U.S. Marine, had worked previously at the Sheffield Village Police Department, joined the Lorain Police Department in 2022. Just days before the shooting the department says he had earned his SWAT pin after a year of training and hard work.
