MANSFIELD — Multiple gunmen opened fire from outside a South Main Street house early Sunday morning in an attack that killed a Mansfield teenager.
“We don’t know how many shooters there were,” Mansfield police Chief Jason Bammann said Wednesday morning. “We’re pretty sure it was at least two, maybe three.”
Malachi Miller, 19, was the only person struck by the gunfire inside the residence, despite the fact there were several people in the same room with him, the chief said.
He was pronounced dead at the scene and his body was taken Monday to the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office for autopsy, according to Bob Ball, chief investigator for the Richland County Coroner’s Office. His girlfriend Jasmine Evege, the mother of his baby Milah, has established a GoFundMe to pay for his funeral.
Bammann said the gunmen fired through a side window into the kitchen at the rear of a residence at 459 S. Main St. around 2:36 a.m.
The chief said detectives still don’t know if the shooters were aiming at the victim or simply trying to “shoot up the house.”
“That’s the baffling part …. because just to shoot from outside into the house … that’s the part we are still trying to piece together. Was this a target-specific thing or were they shooting up the house and unfortunately the victim got struck?” the chief said.
“It’s odd,” Bammann said.
The chief said spent bullet casings were collected from the scene but officers were still working to determine the caliber of guns used in the attack.
The homicide is the fifth in the city in 2024 and the first in almost six months. Mansfield police investigated a record-high 12 gun-related murders in 2023.
Bammann said police had no evidence Sunday’s shooting was connected to any previous homicides or related to gang activity.
“It doesn’t appear to be gang-related … like one gang attacking another. It appears to be more of a specific or localized event,” he said.
A large crowd gathered at the crime scene after the shooting, according to the chief, which could have hindered the investigation.
“Night watch did an amazing job of handling that … when you get a sudden influx of upset and distraught people. They try to charge into the scene.
“Supervisors had to put out a call for assistance and I think the (Richland County) Sheriff’s Office, the Mansfield Post of the Highway Patrol and I think Ontario (police) provided immediate help,” he said.
“The last thing you want is for the scene to be disturbed that ultimately hinders our investigation and catching the individual and helping the (victim’s) family with closure,” the chief said.
The chief described as “very disturbing” a group photo posted on social media of a gathering outside Miller’s residence, apparently on Monday evening, that showed at least five people holding handguns.
“I know that in law enforcement, ever since (Ohio) enacted the constitutional-carry law, we have seen an increase in people carrying guns in general,” the chief said.
“It has changed the way officers patrol. Back when I was on the street, if somebody was carrying a concealed weapon, nine times out of 10 it was illegal. Now it’s an every-day type of thing.
“It’s concerning to me as a police chief to see (the photo), but this is what officers are encountering on a daily basis,” said Bammann, who joined the MPD 34 years ago.
Concerns about retaliation after a homicide are always there for law enforcement.
“We know who the potential threats are in the city and we actively go after those individuals. Sometimes that means just getting in the way when you have events like this. If we can just get between and disrupt or prevent it … that is something that we focus on,” Bammann said.
“We’re just trying to go after the bad guys. I think we have been successful because the (gun homicides) have dropped … the number of shootings in the city have dropped. I believe we have had an impact on that specific group of violent individuals,” the chief said.
