JACKSON, Ohio — Jackson Police Department officers took a man into custody Wednesday morning after they heard a gunshot from inside a West South Street residence and later determined multiple rounds had been fired before they arrived, according to a statement from Chief Brett Hinsch.
Officers responded to 109 W. South Street around 9:05 a.m. Sept. 2 after Timothy McCormick, a resident of the property, called 911 and asked for help but would not specify what kind of assistance he needed, the department said.
An officer approached the front door, knocked, and announced the officers’ presence. Officers then heard a single gunshot from inside the home. Immediately afterward, they heard a male subject inside apologizing and saying he had accidentally discharged a firearm, according to the release.
Officers moved into tactical positions with tactical weapons and established communications with McCormick. He was ordered out of the residence and taken into custody without further incident, police said.
Investigators later determined that multiple rounds had been fired from inside the home before officers arrived. Several rounds penetrated the exterior of the residence. The final destinations of those rounds remain unknown, the department said.
Officers obtained and executed a search warrant at the residence. They recovered several firearms, ammunition, and evidence of several discharged rounds believed to have been fired from inside the home.
McCormick was transported to the Jackson County Correctional Facility. Police said he is believed to have been suffering from mental conditions magnified by an admission of illegal narcotics use.
The Jackson Police Department is working with Jackson County Prosecutor Trent Douthett’s office on official charges. The investigation remains ongoing. Additional information may be released as it becomes available.
Police said there is no current danger to the public as a result of the incident. Chief Hinsch credited a brief and effective response to the quick actions of Jackson Police personnel, including some who were off duty, plus support from a Jackson County Sheriff’s Office deputy, troopers from the Ohio State Highway Patrol, and Jackson County EMS.
No charges had been publicly detailed in the department’s initial release. Under Ohio law, a person taken into custody is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court. Anyone with information is typically directed to contact the Jackson Police Department.
