A Quiet Township Shattered

On the morning of August 7, 2011, the tranquil community of Copley Township, Ohio, was shattered by a horrifying mass shooting. The gunman, 51-year-old Michael E. Hance, unleashed a wave of violence that left seven people dead before he was shot and killed by Copley police officer Ben Campbell. The aftermath of this tragedy would resonate through the community and beyond, as investigations revealed a troubled man with a history of bizarre behavior.

The Rampage

The violent episode began around 10:55 a.m. and stretched over a harrowing ten minutes. Armed with a Hi-Point Model JHP .45-caliber pistol and a .357 Magnum revolver, Hance first targeted his 49-year-old girlfriend, Rebecca K. Dieter, in a house on the 2300 block of Goodenough Avenue. Despite being critically injured, Dieter managed to call 9-1-1. When Hance shot her again on the porch, she played dead, a tactic that ultimately saved her life.

Hance's next victims were inside a neighboring home. There, he killed Dieter's brother Craig, 16-year-old Autumn Johnson, her grandparents Russell and Gudrun Johnson, and 16-year-old Amelia Shambaugh, who had been in her parked car. The spree continued as Hance pursued 44-year-old Bryan Johnson, Autumn's father, shooting him fatally in a driveway on Schocalog Road.

The violence escalated when Hance chased 11-year-old Scott Dieter into another house. Inside, Melonie Bagley sheltered Scott and her three children behind a furnace. Despite Bagley's desperate attempt to protect Scott, Hance found and killed the boy, sparing the Bagley family.

The Perpetrator

Michael E. Hance was known to Copley Township residents as a peculiar figure. Described as quiet and eccentric, he was not well-liked by his neighbors. Despite his helpful nature, Hance exhibited signs of mental instability, such as a compulsion to remove all the batteries from the clocks in his home because he was bothered by their ticking.

Hance graduated from Norton High School in 1978, where he was voted "most courteous." His foray into mental healthcare was limited to herbal remedies. Despite appearing non-violent, his girlfriend noted his depression, insomnia, and delusions. The situation deteriorated as Hance had recently been burdened with caring for Dieter's father, and tensions with neighbors Russell and Gudrun Johnson escalated, culminating in confrontations over property upkeep.

Financial woes also plagued Hance. He had lost his job at a copy store and, days before the shooting, sought repayment of a debt he had previously forgiven. With this money, he purchased the firearms used in the massacre from Sydmor's Jewelry in Barberton, Ohio, alongside a holster and 200 rounds of ammunition. He frequented a local gun range in the days leading up to the attack.

The Confrontation and Aftermath

As Hance exited the last house, Officer Ben Campbell and former policeman Keith Lavery confronted him. Despite commands to disarm, Hance raised his weapon, prompting Campbell and Lavery to open fire. Campbell's rifle shots ended Hance's deadly spree.

For his bravery, Officer Campbell was later awarded the Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery in March 2013, following a Top Cops award from President Barack Obama in 2012.

A year after the tragedy, the community gathered to remember the victims, with flags flown at half-staff. Among the survivors, Rebecca Dieter advocated for a red flag law, acknowledging her belief in the Second Amendment but recognizing Hance's psychosis at the time of the shooting.

Reflections and Critiques

The incident sparked debate among gun rights and control advocates. Massad Ayoob, a gun rights advocate, hailed the police response as courageous, criticizing the media's disregard for armed citizen Keith Lavery's role. Conversely, Tom Diaz, a gun control advocate, described the shooting as a quintessentially American tragedy, highlighting the media's inadequate response to mass shootings in his book "The Last Gun."