Ohio wrestling team caught in crossfire during I-71 shooting
The Lucas Local Schools wrestling team near Mansfield was on their way to the state wrestling tournament in Columbus when a man started shooting on I-71.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Before gunfire was exchanged between a 21-year-old man and police on I-71 Friday, police received multiple calls about the man firing at oncoming traffic.
Caught in that crossfire, were several students on their way to the state wrestling tournament in Columbus.
The town of Lucas is very small — a one-stoplight town, with just over 500 people.
“There’s a graduating class of seniors is maybe 45 kids,” said Ed Finley.
Zane Finley was the first wrestler from the town to compete at the state level. The Finley family followed another group of wrestlers heading to the tournament from Madison Local Schools.
“We noticed traffic starting to slow in front of us, we noticed a man bolting across the middle of the highway. At that point everybody was starting to come to a standstill, the Madison Bus abruptly turned left and we heard gunshots and the next thing you know the shooter is standing right in front of our vehicle,” said Finley, Zane’s father and coach.
Ed Finley says he told his family to duck.
“It looks like one of [the bullets] might’ve ricocheted off the roof. We don’t know if that was a gunshot, but he definitely pointed his gun at us and let the bullets fly,” he said.
No one from either school was injured. 10TV reached out to Lucas Schools and haven’t heard back.
10TV did hear from Madison Local Schools; the superintendent saying “I want to applaud our coaches for their handling of this incident, and we are very thankful for the safe arrival of our coaches and student-athletes.”
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