Investigators continue the search for 28-year-old Michael Parker’s motive and plan when he shot three Lorain Police officers on July 23, 2025.
One officer – Phillip Wagner – died the following day. Two others – Brent Payne and Peter Gale – are recovering from gunshot wounds.
Initial reports were that Parker was waiting for the officers to arrive near the end of Riverbend Road, which is lined with woods and a popular place for officers to park and fill out paperwork or eat lunch. It’s also an area that’s popular with joggers and dog walkers.
The officers actually were already there when Parker arrived, according to police.
“A suspect arrived in the area in the vehicle that is registered to the suspect and immediately began firing upon Officer Wagner's cruiser,” Elyria Police Capt. Bill Lantz said during a press conference Thursday. “During that gunfire, Officer Wagner was struck and incapacitated.”
Wagner and Gale were eating lunch in separate police vehicles when the shooting started.
Gale was able to drive his vehicle back the way they came in, away from the shooter, and called for backup.
Payne was the first officer to arrive. Footage from his cruiser, played during Thursday’s press conference, shows gunshots hitting his windshield coming from the direction of Parker’s car, which was parked at the end of Riverbend Road.
“The suspect backed his vehicle in and began pulling equipment out of his vehicle and staging it around his vehicle,” said Lantz. “The suspect ultimately moved several rifles on both the driver's side and passenger's side of his vehicle. And those rifles were pointed towards the only direction that law enforcement officers would be responding from.”
Photos from around Parker’s car show multiple rifles, a firing platform, cases of drinks and a wheeled cart set up around the vehicle.
Payne was shot in the arm and hip as he tried to make his way from his vehicle into the woods near the road. Shortly after that, additional Lorain officers arrived and killed Parker.
“Brent Payne did a phenomenal job with sharing enough information and guiding the responding officers and detectives to his location,” said Lantz. “These personnel fortunately were able to provide immediate medical aid by putting a tourniquet on him, likely saving his life.”
Parker had 10 guns with him – seven rifles, two handguns and a shotgun – 294 loaded magazines and about 7,500 rounds of ammunition, according to Lantz, and fired 103 of those rounds at officers before he was killed. He also had 100 pounds of Tannerite in his car, an explosive used in exploding shooting targets and sold without restrictions in the United States.
Investigators continue to search for a motive. It’s unclear whether police officers were his only target or if he went to that area to shoot at civilians first.
“Based on the evidence recovered so far, it's clear that Michael Parker did have a plan,” said Lantz. “And while that plan has not been uncovered through a note or through a manifesto, the evidence and the capabilities show us that he had something planned. And the extent of the plan is still under investigation.”
Parker purchased four of the firearms found at the scene between March and July of 2025. The rest were bought as far back as 2021, according to Lantz.
Parker was a lifelong resident of Lorain, who lived with his parents and had a history of mental illness.
“He has had issues with a thought disorder. He's been diagnosed as schizophrenic in the past,” said Lorain County Coroner Dr. Frank Miller. “He was on medicine. I have found no available evidence that he's been on medicine for at least eight or nine years.”
According to Lantz, Parker was able to legally purchase the guns and ammunition because he had never been declared mentally incompetent by a court or involuntarily admitted to a hospital.
The FBI is examining Parker’s electronic devices for any evidence about his planning or motives. Parker had a “limited history” with law enforcement, said Lantz, but one incident directly involved Wagner.
Following a 2022 crash, Wagner issued Parker a citation and the other driver sued Parker. The civil case was settled in 2023.
“I just want to be clear that we have not uncovered any evidence during this stage of the investigation that identifies that any specific individual, to include Officer Wagner or Officer Gale, were an intended target,” said Lantz. “Furthermore, again, all available evidence points that Michael Parker acted alone in his armed attack on law enforcement.”
According to Lorain Chief of Police Michael Failing, Gale had surgery on his hand and is likely to return to the department after 6-to-8 months. Payne’s injuries were more serious and had major surgery last week. He’s likely to be out for at least a year.
