Mentor trailer park shooting: Altercation over eviction notice may have sparked shooting

An altercation between a resident and the property manager over an eviction notice could possibly have been the catalyst to the shooting at Mentor Green Mobile Estate in which four people were killed, including the shooter.

According to the city, at approximately 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 16, the Mentor Police Department responded to a 911 call at the Mentor Green Mobile Estates, located at 7166 Mentor Ave., for shots fired.

The first officer on scene found a 62-year-old female deceased in the roadway. She was later identified as the property manager, Laura Colon.

The second officer on the scene found a male victim nearby who was shot in the stomach. The officer pulled him to safety, performed CPR and then carried him approximately 60 yards to safety. Terrance Mathis Sr., 63, was transported to Cleveland Clinic Mentor Hospital where he later died from his injuries.

The third and fourth officers arrived on scene and found a third deceased victim, 81-year-old Thomas Galizia.

A fourth victim, a 63-year-old man, was found in his home shot in the shoulder and right thigh. He was escorted out by officers and transported to University Hospitals Lake West Medical Center in Willoughby, where he remains in stable condition.

According to a news release, while attending to the victims, the four officers were fired upon by the suspect from his mobile home unit. The officers took cover and did not return fire. The officers then formed a combat rescue team and were able to remove the first victim from the scene.

Shortly thereafter, additional units, including the Mentor SWAT team, Lake County SWAT and West End SWAT team arrived and established a perimeter. Neighboring residents were evacuated.

Mentor Police Chief Ken Gunsch identified Jason Norris, 47 as the suspect in the shooting. He is suspected of firing at officers when they arrived on scene in two separate bursts of gunfire, according to Gunsch at a Nov. 17 news conference.

Norris who was in the U.S. Army until 2002, reportedly had a .45 semi-automatic handgun, a .38 revolver, an AR-15 rifle, and a bolt action rifle with hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Apart from an OVI charge in Mentor in the late 1990s, Norris has no other criminal record, Gunsch said at the press conference.

“The first shot drew the other people outside and they became victims of the suspect.” Gunsch said. “It’s a quiet mobile home park and we usually don’t have any issues over there.”

Norris had retreated to his unit prior to the arrival of Mentor Police.

According to the city, the Mentor Police Hostage Negotiation Team attempted to make contact with him throughout the evening without success. At approximately 8:15 p.m., a tactical drone was deployed into Norris’ unit where he was observed with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Lake County SWAT entered the unit shortly thereafter confirming Norris’ death.

Gunsch said that Mentor Police talked with Norris earlier in the day, when he called to complain that a neighbor’s camera was pointed at him. That neighbor would turn out to be the suspect’s third victim, Galizia.

“We did respond earlier in the day at about 9 in the morning,” Gunsch said. “He had complained about a neighbor’s camera being pointed at his unit, and he was upset about that. Officers responded and talked with him, and he understood that they could have a camera like that and that was it.”

Gunsch said that Mentor police are still figuring out the motive but when asked about if a pending eviction could be a reason, he responded that he was not sure.

“There was an eviction process going on, but I can’t tell you for sure if that was the reason for the shooting,” Gunsch said. “It (the eviction) was initiated somewhat between last week and this week.”

The shooting displaced over 30 residents who were sent to the Mentor Senior Center which served as a temporary shelter. The American Red Cross was on site to aid families. Those who were displaced were able to go back to their homes at 5 a.m. Nov. 17.

The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is currently investigating the scene.

Mentor Victim’s Advocate and Lake County Crisis Teams are available for those that need it.

Bodycam footage is expected to be released following the investigation, according to a press release.

News-Herald reporter William Tilton contributed.