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Victims in Lowellville double shooting identified

LOWELLVILLE, Ohio (WKBN) –Two victims in a fatal Lowellville shooting have been identified, and the suspect in that shooting took his own life, according to investigators.

The Mahoning County Coroner’s Office identified the victims as 55-year-old Deborah Hudak and her 25-year-old daughter Cathryn Hudak. Autopsies will be conducted by the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Lowellville police Chief Rick Alli said the suspect, Jonathan Crago, 38, of Girard, shot two female victims around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in the 300 block of Watson Street. Those victims both passed away.

Minutes after a 911 call was placed for shots fired, police and paramedics find the victims. Alli quickly called Ohio BCI as well as the Mahoning County Homicide Task Force, a unit made up of detectives from around the area and overseen by Sheriff Jerry Greene.

“What it does, really, is it gives the experience, knowledge and the resources to be able to help agencies out, especially smaller agencies that may not have the resources themselves,” Greene said.

Detectives are able to identify Crago, who had a relationship with at least one of the victims.

As investigators were busy processing the crime scene in Lowellville, they were notified outside agencies to be looking for Crago’s car.

“Obviously, by using cell phone records, we were able to pin where he was and where he was going, and we were able to secure a warrant,” Greene said.

Following the shooting, investigators say Crago went to Parma, where officers there tried stopping him after receiving a description of his vehicle.

At just before 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, Parma officers spotted Crago driving northbound on Ridge Road near Brownfield Drive and attempted to stop the vehicle. Police said the vehicle wouldn’t stop, leading officers on a chase that ended in the 6300 block of Velma Avenue, after the vehicle drove over spike strips and hit a Brooklyn Heights police cruiser.

Police said at some point, Crago called Cleveland police to inform them of his intention to “commit suicide by cop.” Due to the nature of the incident, a shelter-in-place order was given to residents in the area.

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Parma police say Crago ended up shooting and killing himself before he was apprehended, and officers recovered a .380 caliber handgun from the vehicle.