Northwood police have identified Erica Lauro, 22, of Pensacola, Fla., as the woman killed today in Northwood during an officer-involved shooting in which two others were arrested.

The incident spanned two counties, involved two police departments, and included a gunfight between five police officers and two suspects.

Ms. Lauro was pronounced dead at the scene early today, according to Chief Mike Navarre of the Oregon Police Department. Two male suspects, one of whom was shot by police in the leg, are in custody. Police recovered three guns from the scene.

The two suspects were identified today at a news conference: Jack Welninski, 30, was charged with two counts of attempted aggravated murder of a peace officer. A second male, Kenneth Maldonado, 26, was charged with one count each of having weapons under disability, attempted theft, and obstructing official business. 

Both were arraigned today in Perrysburg Municipal Court. Mr. Welninski was ordered held in the Wood County jail on a $1 million bond. Mr. Maldonado was ordered held in the jail on a $506,500 bond that includes a $6,500 bond for an additional license plate theft charge.

According to Chief Navarre, Oregon officers were conducting an investigation into a felonious assault at the Icons bar, 3150 Navarre Ave. in Oregon at 1:09 a.m. The three suspects, all of whom were from out of state, assaulted three people — two men and a woman — when an altercation sparked by a verbal exchange between a woman in the suspects’ group and a woman in the victims’ group spilled into the parking lot.

IN PICTURES: Northwood police shootout

One of the male victims was injured when a suspect pistol-whipped him, striking him multiple times on the head. The assailant then fired a shot in the air. That victim, who has not been named, was released after treatment at a local hospital, Chief Navarre said.

The suspects fled in a vehicle into Northwood and were pursued by Oregon police. The vehicle, parked in a driveway and with lights off, eluded officers until a Northwood resident called the Northwood police to report noises. Oregon police were notified and also arrived at the scene in the 1900 block of Lear Drive. Chief Navarre said the suspects apparently intended to steal a license plate from a vehicle at the location.

Officers then tried to take one of the male suspects into custody. The armed suspect gave them a chase and circled around the area, coming up behind some of the officers’ backs, the chief said.

That’s when what is being described as a gunfight ensued between two of the suspects and five officers.

“After the first shot was fired, it became a gun battle,” Chief Navarre said. “There were three suspects, three guns.”

Shots were first fired from a sawed-off shotgun by a male suspect who was outside his vehicle, with one round shattering a window of an Oregon police cruiser and going over the head of Oregon officer Tim Stecker, 56, who happened to be adjusting a spotlight, inside the vehicle. Multiple shots were exchanged between that suspect and police officers, Chief Navarre said, including three officers from Oregon and two from the Northwood department.

Ms. Lauro, who also was outside the vehicle, was struck multiple times by gunshots and pronounced dead at the scene. A semi-automatic weapon and two spent rounds were found near the woman, who was felled behind the suspect vehicle in the driveway. A second semi-automatic was found near the male suspect who was outside the vehicle, and a sawed-off shotgun was found inside the vehicle near a third male suspect. Chief Navarre said authorities believe the second male suspect, who had led officers on a foot pursuit and was the first to be arrested, had not fired his weapon.

One of the bullets struck a garage door in the driveway and another an occupied house next to it, without striking anyone.

“This could have been a lot worse,” the chief said.

“They performed admirably,” Chief Navarre said of the officers. “They are very lucky.”

Three Northwood officers and three Oregon officers who were involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave, and will be re-evaluated after three days, Chief Navarre said. One of the officers did not fire a weapon. Those involved in the shooting were Mr. Stecker, Oregon police sergeants Kenneth Reno, 46, and Jeffrey Martin, 40, Northwood police sergeant Fred Genzman and Northwood officer John Kersker.

Northwood police Chief Thomas Cairl identified Officer Krystal Sellers-Kominek, a rookie Northwood officer in training, as the officer who did not shoot. He said he believed she happened to be right in front of the suspects at the time of the shooting and was seeking cover behind the Oregon police cruiser that was shot up. By the time she came around the other side of the vehicle, she apparently did not have a shot, Chief Cairl said.

Like the five officers who did shoot, she is on the leave, the Northwood police chief said.

“We want them to take some time off ... after such a traumatic incident,” Chief Navarre, of Oregon police, said. Officer Stecker has been with the Oregon department for 32 years. Sergeant Reno has been with Oregon for 24 years, Sergeant Martin for 15 years, and both of the Northwood officers have been there 14 years.

Chief Navarre said that a preliminary investigation indicates that all of the officers acted in self-defense, but a full investigation is being handled by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

Ken Fullenlove, 79, who lives near the shooting scene, said he was watching TV about 1:50 a.m. today when he heard a burst of shots that sounded like "fireworks."

"Bang. Bang. Bang. Then we went down in the basement. Then it was quiet for about 10 seconds. I started coming back up the stairs and then bang bang again. So I went down again.

"It came in three different [bursts.]"

He then looked out the window and saw flashing lights.

Mr. Fullenlove, who is a Korean War veteran, said he wasn't scared, but he was concerned for his family, fearing the bullets could have gone through his home.

Deanne Beebe, another neighbor, said she was scared at first.

"I woke up to what sounded like a shooting. I looked out of the window, didn't see anything at all, then I ran back and I heard a couple of shots again," she said. "Then I heard people outside. I heard a lot of yelling. Then I saw a car drive by shortly after that."

She has lived in the neighborhood since 2002 and has never seen anything like this, she said.

Chief Navarre said the suspects were staying at a Holiday Inn Express near the Icons bar in Oregon, where they were booked for a week and where Oregon police first saw them in a vehicle after the altercation in the bar parking lot. It was unclear what the suspects were doing in the greater Toledo area and exactly how, if at all, they were related to each other, he said.

Mr. Maldonado told police he and Mr. Welninski are brothers and that Ms. Lauro was Mr. Welninski’s girlfriend, Chief Navarre said. Police had not been able to confirm that information, he said.

First Published December 18, 2015, 12:58 p.m.