Portage County shooting suspect had booby traps, explosives on property near fairgrounds

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - A 36-year-old man accused of shooting someone near the Portage County fairgrounds was arrested following a standoff with the SWAT team.

Deputies initially responded to Randolph Township for reports of a shooting on Aug. 16, just after 4pm.

A male victim with a gunshot wound was found in a ditch along Fairground Road, according to the Portage County Sheriff’s Office. He was taken by ambulance to an area hospital after a woman who was driving by spotted him and called for help.

Investigators were able to identify a suspect and determined that the 36-year-old man lived at a residence near where the victim was located.

During the investigation, Portage County deputies learned that the suspect concealed traps on his property, including 12-foot holes and explosives.

The SWAT team, Ohio State Highway Patrol, and other local law enforcement agencies were called to the scene to assist on Tuesday afternoon after the suspect barricaded himself on the property, which was enclosed by woods, obstacles, and a gated driveway.

According to the sheriff’s office, a search warrant for the suspect’s property was obtained and all buildings on the property were cleared with assistance from an Ohio State Highway Patrol robot and the agency’s helicopter.

The suspect, who has not yet been publicly identified, was later located with the use of thermal imaging crawling and running through the woods on his property. He was eventually arrested after he was found hiding in a tree.

The suspect was booked at the Portage County Jail.

The victim’s condition is not known at this time.

This is a developing story.

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