Cleveland Man Fatally Shot While Mowing Lawn in Suspected Murder-Suicide

A man was fatally shot while mowing his lawn in Cleveland, Ohio.

A 68-year-old man in Cleveland, Ohio, was fatally shot while mowing his lawn in broad daylight in what police are investigating as a suspected murder-suicide.

On Wednesday, May 14, around 1:30 p.m., officers from the Cleveland Police Department responded to a call on the 15700 block of Munn Road in the West Park neighborhood. Upon arrival, they found Thomas Overall dead at the scene from a gunshot wound. A neighbor reported that Overall had been mowing his lawn at the time of the shooting.

Authorities later located the suspected shooter deceased inside a vehicle on Hogsback Lane near the Stinchcomb-Groth Memorial in the Rocky River Reservation. Police confirmed the suspect appeared to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His identity has not yet been released, and the investigation remains ongoing.

Thomas Overall

Tributes have since poured in for Overall, who was remembered by his family as a beloved member of the community. “Tom’s immediate and extended family are shocked and grief-stricken over his loss. He was well-liked and well-loved by everyone who knew him,” his family shared. Originally from Missouri, Overall moved to Cleveland for work decades ago and quickly grew to love the city, his neighborhood, and its people.

He was a long-standing member of the Cleveland Hiking Club (CHC) and had planned to leave on Friday, May 16, for a two-week hiking trip in Spain with fellow members. CHC President Sharon Uhl said, “Tom was a member of CHC since 2013 and hiked almost 6,000 miles with us. Many members knew him and hiked those miles with him, enjoying his company on the trail. We are shocked and saddened by his needless death. A wonderful person, a loss for so many.”

Cleveland Ward 17 Councilman Charles Slife expressed condolences on social media, stating, “I visited and spoke with neighbors, who are understandably shocked and distraught. Please pray for the victim and for his neighbors who are processing this senseless act of violence.”

Neighbor Debbie Orlosky also shared her grief, saying, “He was the greatest... We just, we just loved him; all of us.”

At a town hall meeting later that day, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb addressed the tragedy, saying, “I know today has been a challenging day in the neighborhood. Our hearts and our prayers are with the victims of the murder-suicide that took place earlier today.”

Neighbors described the suspect as a volatile individual with a history of confrontations and previous run-ins with law enforcement.

Authorities continue to investigate the motive behind the attack, while the community mourns the loss of a man widely described as kind, active, and deeply connected to those around him.