An unnamed man was fatally shot by police at Indiana’s Hollywood Casino & Hotel Lawrenceburg on Saturday morning during a dramatic exchange of gunfire. The incident took place in a fourth-floor hallway of the hotel, where three police officers confronted the armed man. Despite repeated warnings, the man refused to put down his handgun and eventually fired at the officers. The police returned fire, striking the suspect at least once. He died at the scene.
Prior to the shooting, the suspect, who was also wielding a knife, had been chasing and threatening a woman throughout the hotel. According to Indiana State Police (ISP), he had additionally threatened another man with the knife. Investigations revealed that the suspects and this man did not know each other prior to the incident. Reports suggest that the suspect fired shots in the casino’s hotel before the police arrived, causing further alarm.
Local police were first alerted to the situation at around 1 a.m. As per routine procedure in officer-involved shootings, the three officers involved were immediately placed on administrative leave. ISP will conduct an investigation into the shooting to determine if the use of deadly force was justified. In a statement, ISP Sgt. Stephen Wheeles confirmed that the case would be reviewed by the Dearborn County Prosecutor’s Office upon conclusion of the investigation. The identities of the officers involved are currently being withheld.
No officers were injured during the confrontation, and the suspect, who remains unidentified pending an autopsy by the Dearborn County Coroner’s Office, will undergo a formal identification process. Police have yet to disclose why the suspect was chasing the woman, and it remains unclear whether they knew each other before the incident.
Immediately after the shooting, police and hotel employees ensured the safety of other guests, temporarily relocating those in the vicinity of the incident. No other injuries were reported. Located approximately 30 miles west of Cincinnati, Ohio, the Hollywood Casino & Hotel Lawrenceburg became the scene of a tragic and alarming event, leaving many questions yet to be answered.