AKRON, Ohio — Two men were found dead inside an Akron home Tuesday after two officers fired shots at a man inside the house armed with a gun have been identified.
Officers responded at 2:43 a.m. to multiple 911 calls about a 21-year-old man armed with a gun inside a home in the 500 block of Ritchie Avenue. Police said the caller told dispatch that the man was inside the house screaming and pointing a gun at the occupants of the home.
Once officers arrived at the home, yelling could be heard from inside the home. According to the news release, two people walked out of the house moments later.
At the scene, officers received knowledge that at least one additional person was inside with the man armed with a gun.
Officers stood just outside the side door of the home and gave the 21-year-old man numerous commands to drop the gun, Akron Police Chief Stephen Mylett said at a news conference Tuesday morning.
"Officers directed the suspect to put down the firearm, show his hands and exit the home. The suspect refused," Mylett said.
According to the chief, the suspect then pointed a gun at the officers and the officers fired shots. The armed man went back inside the home.
Officers then established a perimeter outside the home with the assistance of the Akron SWAT Team, who tried to communicate with the occupants inside. The efforts were unsuccessful.
The SWAT team deployed a robot, which found two men, later identified by the county medical examiner as 21-year-old Lawrence LeJames Rodgers and 38-year-old Raymond Jones, dead inside the living room.
Both men suffered gunshot wounds to the torso.
The medical examiner declared that both men's manner of death was homicide.
