Ohio police have released additional details about a suspected murder-suicide that occurred at a Taco Bell drive-thru Wednesday night.
Jason Williams, 53, fatally shot Megan Keleman, 25, at the Graham Road drive-in in Stow before shooting himself in the head, the Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office said in a news release provided to News week.
Keleman died of gunshot wounds to the neck, while Williams died of a gunshot wound to the head, the medical examiner’s office said.
At a news conference Thursday, Stow Police Chief Jeffrey Film said Keleman asked an employee at the Taco Bell on Graham Road in Stow to call police around 7:20 p.m. after her car was struck by the vehicle behind her.
Shortly afterward, Film said several people called 911 to report a shooting at the same location.
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Witnesses told detectives that Williams began honking her horn at Keleman when she pulled in front of him to enter the drive-thru line, Film said.
“Williams then rammed his car into the rear of her vehicle,” Film said. “Through the drive-thru loudspeaker, Ms. Keleman asked the Taco Bell employee to call the police department. Moments later, Williams exited his vehicle and shot Ms. Keleman and then shot himself.”
Both men were pronounced dead at the scene, Film said.
Keleman’s dog was in his vehicle at the time of the shooting. A local rescue club cared for the animal before returning it to its family, he added.
Film said investigators have no information to suggest Williams and Keleman knew each other, and they are working to determine a motive for the shooting.
“As a police chief and a community leader, I would like to say that this is a true tragedy,” Film said. “Not only did the Kelemans lose a daughter, but the community lost one of our daughters… We don’t know yet why this happened, and we may never know.”
At the news conference, Film said “numerous” people had called 911 to report the shooting. Police later released the 14 calls they had received.
“A man just shot someone and shot himself in the head. I’m sorry, I’m really shocked, I saw him shoot himself in the head,” one caller said, according to the Akron Beacon Journal.
Film said detectives have followed up on those people and are following leads on other potential witnesses.
Williams had no criminal history, except for a prior arrest for operating a vehicle while impaired (OVI), he said.
Film said the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is investigating the shooting along with the police department and medical examiner.
“We don’t have a lot of homicides,” he said. “In a situation like this, we want to do the best job we can, and with their additional resources… [it] This will help us determine how this happened.
Keleman graduated from Cleveland State University in May with a master’s degree in business administration, after earning a bachelor’s degree in finance and financial management services, according to her LinkedIn page. She worked as an accountant at Shelter Care Inc., a residential treatment program for children with emotional or behavioral problems.
“Our family is experiencing an extremely painful loss with the loss of Megan Elizabeth Keleman,” Keleman’s family said in a statement released by the Stow Police Department.
“We ask for the media and public’s understanding in respecting our privacy during this difficult time. We appreciate the community’s support and hope that our request for privacy will be honored so that we can continue to support each other during this difficult time.”
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline 988 by dialing 988, text “988” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741, or visit 988lifeline.org.
