An Ohio woman standing in line with her dog at a Taco Bell drive-thru was fatally shot Wednesday night before the gunman turned the weapon on himself in a shocking murder-suicide.
According to police, Megan Keleman was in the driver’s seat ordering food from the fast-food chain when 53-year-old Jason Williams rammed the back of her car shortly before 7:20 p.m. in Stow, Ohio.
The 25-year-old, who graduated from Cleveland State University in May, told a Taco Bell employee on the other end of the PA system to call 911.
Williams got out of his car and shot Keleman before shooting himself, Stow Police Chief Jeffrey Film said at a press conference on Thursday, according to Cleveland19.
Witnesses told investigators that the shooter began honking at Keleman after she pulled into the drive-thru line in front of him.
Both Keleman and Williams were pronounced dead at the scene.
The Summit County Coroner identified both individuals and determined that Keleman was the victim of a homicide and died of gunshot wounds to the neck.
Williams’ death was ruled a suicide by gunshot wound to the head.
“We have no information to suggest that the two people knew each other,” said Film
“As police chief and community leader, I want to say this is a true tragedy. Not only have the Kelemans lost a daughter, but we as a community have lost one of our daughters.”
According to bodycam footage obtained by the outlet, police discovered during their investigation that Keleman had called her father, presumably after her car was hit.
“I’ll stay on the line, I’ll be right up,” Keleman’s father can be heard telling an officer.
Police have found no motive for the tragic shooting and “may never know why.”
Keleman’s family said they had suffered “an immensely painful loss” following the death of their daughter.
“We appreciate the community’s support and hope our desire for privacy will be respected so we can continue to focus on supporting each other during this difficult time,” the family said in a statement.
While Film said Williams’ record only includes one drunken driving arrest, he was arrested in April on several misdemeanors, including a weapons charge.
He was charged on April 14 with improper handling of firearms in a motor vehicle and operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, according to court records obtained by The Post.
He was released in May on $5,000 bail and ordered not to possess firearms, WOIO reported.
Keleman graduated from CSU in May with a master’s degree in business administration. She specialized in finance and financial management services and has been described as an “active leader on campus.”
She helped lead campus tours, organized orientation events for students at CSU, and served as editor-in-chief of the university’s student newspaper, The Cauldron.
“We extend our deepest condolences to Megan’s family, friends and loved ones. We have lost a caring, dedicated and optimistic member of the CSU community,” said CSU President Dr. Laura Bloomberg.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can call the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 988 or visit SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
