MIDDLETOWN, Ohio — The Butler County Coroner's Office has identified the person was shot and killed after a road rage incident in Middletown Tuesday night.
The coroner's report shows 26-year-old Brandon Chase Gunstanson died of gunshot wounds in the early morning hours of April 17.
Middletown police responded to reports of two vehicles "involved in a road rage incident" and the sound of gunshots at approximately 11:50 p.m. near Manchester Avenue and Verity Parkway.
According to Middletown police, a vehicle was found against a pole in the 100 block of South Clinton Street. This is alongside the Fraternal Order of the Eagles club.
"First thing that I saw was the flashing lights coming through my window," said Otis Turner, who lives nearby. "I looked and there was a guy laying almost, he wasn't completely out of his truck his feet was under the truck, but he was laying there."
The driver of the car had a gunshot wound to the neck, police said. The victim died on the scene.
Police said no one has been arrested at this time.
On Thursday, Middletown police said detectives have found the other driver involved. However, police said an additional person has been identified as the person who pulled the trigger and the investigation remains ongoing.
Initially, police said they'd expected to make an arrest sometime Wednesday evening.
"With the description that we have, officers are out now looking for any type of video evidence and following up with any type of witnesses who saw the incident, and they are working those leads as they are talking right now," said Eric Crank, acting Middletown police chief. "We have downloaded several videos from the bus transit building and we have several others businesses that we got and obtained video from so the detectives are going through those right now."
Acting Middletown Police Chief Eric Crank on why they’re confident they will arrest the fatal road rage suspect tonight @WCPO pic.twitter.com/AHhhNgQA8D
— Bret Buganski (@Bret_Buganski) April 17, 2024
Crank also discussed the severity of what could happen during road rage incidents.
"This is just one of those things that we see across the nation," Crank said. "People are frustrated, people are angry, but this is a perfect example of something like this, is so simple, probably once we find out, it's something simple thing that it just escalated into someones death."
It is unclear what led up to the road rage incident or shooting.
Police said the suspect was driving a gray car, and the victim was driving a white pickup truck. Crank also said officers found pieces of the suspect's car off of Clinton, where the truck ended up against a pole.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Ballinger at 513-425-7785 or 513-425-7700.
