North Olmsted Police Department Chief Bob Wagner verified that a shooting incident took place at the Giant Eagle premises located at 27264 Lorain Rd at 9:35 a.m.
Tragically, two people lost their lives because of this.
Police have confirmed the identities of the deceased as Susan Petterson, 63, an employee of Giant Eagle of Olmsted Township, and Bernard Smith, 60, of Cleveland.
According to the police, Susan Petterson and Bernard Smith had previously been married and were in a state of separation.
Chief Bob Wagner said authorities are treating the incident as a murder-suicide and are investigating.
In response to the shooting, Giant Eagle released the following statement:
“We offer our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of our team member who lost his life today while working to serve the North Olmsted community. It is incredibly difficult to process and understand any event involving violence, but it becomes unfathomable when our Giant Eagle family is directly affected. Our thoughts and hearts go out to everyone affected by this terrible tragedy.
We are shocked and deeply saddened that such a senseless act of violence has taken place in one of our stores. Our top priority remains the safety of our team members and guests. We are grateful for the prompt response from local authorities and are committed to providing all available resources to law enforcement to assist in their investigation.
The store will be closed on Monday, June 26 so that we can provide on-site support to our affected team members, with ongoing support for all team members continuing in the days ahead. The drive-thru pharmacy window will be open Monday for customers who need access to important medications.