On November 16, 2023, a deadly shooting occurred at Mentor Green Mobile Home Park on the border of Willoughby, Ohio during the afternoon, claiming four lives, including that of the gunman, and injuring one other person.
At approximately 4:30 p.m., police were alerted to a shooting at 7134 Mentor Avenue. Arriving at the scene, they found Laura Colon, 62, the property manager of the mobile home park, dead. Two additional victims, Terrence Mathis, 63, and Thomas Galiza, 81, were rushed to a hospital where they later died. Charles Skala, 63, survived gunshot wounds to his shoulder and thigh and is reportedly recovering in a hospital.
The City of Mentor’s communications director, Ante Logarusic, reported that the gunman, 47-year-old Jason Norris, had locked himself in a mobile home within the park. After an hours-long standoff, police entered the home and discovered Norris, an Army veteran, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Several firearms and ammunition rounds were found in his home.
Residents of the mobile home park, typically a community for those aged 55 and older, provided insights into the event. A resident who lived across from Norris speculated that he was facing eviction. It is believed that an eviction notice led to Norris’ argument with Colon and the subsequent shooting. The other victims were shot when they came to her aid.
In the aftermath, about 30 displaced residents were moved to the Mentor Senior Center for the night as law enforcement and paramedics worked to secure the scene. A section of Mentor Avenue from the Willoughby border to Ohio 306 was closed off until approximately 11:15 pm.
A long-time resident of the park, who has lived there for 23 years, expressed his concern for the victims and described the park as usually a very quiet place.