ambush

July 25 (UPI) — One of three Ohio police officers shot in what authorities described as an ambush earlier this week has died.

The Lorain County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement Thursday that officer Phillip Wagner, 35, “gave his life in service to his community, a sacrifice that words can never fully honor.”

“He was not only a dedicated officer, but a husband, father, son, brother and friend,” the sheriff’s office said. “His impact reached far beyond the badge, and his absence will be deeply felt by all who knew and served alongside him.”

Wagner and fellow officer Peter Gale, 51, had picked up pizza and were each in their individual cop cars, parked side by side, eating in an undeveloped industrial park in the northeastern Ohio city of Lorain, located on the coast of Lake Erie, when the gunman opened fire on them.

A third officer, officer Brent Payne, 47, who arrived on the scene was also shot.

The suspect, identified Thursday as 28-year-old Michael Joseph Parker, was killed in return fire.

Authorities said Wagner and Payne were shot multiple times, while Gale suffered a gunshot wound to the hand.

Wagner succumbed to his injuries Thursday, the Lorain Police Department said, while Payne was listed in critical condition.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine ordered all U.S. and Ohio flags to be flown at half-staff on all public buildings and grounds “in honor of the life and service” of Wagner, his office said in a statement, with the order to remain in effect until his funeral.

“I am devastated by this senseless attack on law enforcement,” Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said in a statement.

“I share this community’s grief at the loss of a hero and join in their prayers for the injured officers to make a swift recovery.”

July 24 (UPI) — Three Ohio police officers were shot when a gunman opened fire on two of while they were eating pizza in their patrol cars during their lunch break, authorities said, with the third being wounded while responding to the scene.

The shooting occurred shortly after 1 p.m. local time Wednesday in an undeveloped industrial park in the northeastern Ohio city of Lorain, located on the coast of Lake Erie.

Acting Lorain Police Chief Michael Failing told reporters during a press conference that the suspect had been “lying in wait” with an “arsenal of weapons” when he opened fire on officers Philip Wagner and Peter Gale, who were parked side by side eating pizza.

A third officer, Brent Payne, was also shot by the suspect when he arrived at the scene in response to his fellow officers’ call for assistance.

More officers responded, and the suspect was shot dead at the scene.

Failing said Payne suffered a gunshot wound to the hand at was treated at a local hospital, while Wagner and Gale were shot multiple times and were airlifted to a larger facility.

“They are currently undergoing medical treatment and if you could all pray for these officers,” Failing said.

The suspect has not been identified.

Elyria Police Chief James Welsh told reporters in a separate press conference that he could not confirm whether the suspect died from return fire from law enforcement or if he took his own life.

“This was an ambush situation,” he said.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said he had been briefed on the “horrible” shooting.

“Fran and I are praying for the three Lorain Police Department officers who were shot in the line of duty today, and our thoughts are also with their families, friends and fellow officers in northeast Ohio,” he said in a statement.

“This situation reminds us that those who work in law enforcement risk their lives every day for the safety of their communities. We are so very grateful for the men and women who willingly and bravely serve and protect.”

Deadly attack on United Nations convoy in Sudan disrupts aid to hunger-stricken families in the war-torn country.

An ambush on a United Nations food aid convoy in Sudan has killed at least five people, blocking urgently needed supplies from reaching civilians facing starvation in the war-torn Darfur city of el-Fasher.

Aid agencies confirmed on Tuesday that the 15-truck convoy was transporting critical humanitarian supplies from Port Sudan to North Darfur when it was attacked overnight.

“Five members of the convoy were killed and several more people were injured. Multiple trucks were burned, and critical humanitarian supplies were damaged,” the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP) said in a joint statement.

The agencies did not identify the perpetrators and called for an urgent investigation, describing the incident as a violation of international humanitarian law. The route had been shared in advance with both warring parties.

The convoy was nearing al-Koma, a town under the control of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), when it came under fire. The area had witnessed a drone attack earlier in the week that killed civilians, according to local activists.

Fighting between the RSF and the Sudanese army has raged for over two years, displacing millions and plunging more than half of Sudan’s population into acute hunger. El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, remains one of the most vulnerable regions.

“Hundreds of thousands of people in el-Fasher are at high risk of malnutrition and starvation,” the UN statement warned.

Both sides blamed each other for the attack. The RSF accused the army of launching an air attack on the convoy, while the army claimed RSF fighters torched the trucks. Neither account could be independently verified.

The attack is the latest in a string of assaults on humanitarian operations.

In recent weeks, RSF shelling targeted WFP facilities in el-Fasher, and an attack on El Obeid Hospital in North Kordofan killed several medical staff. Aid delivery has become increasingly perilous as access routes are blocked or come under fire.

Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada pledges to continue ‘relentless fight against insecurity’.

Two top aides to the mayor of Mexico City have been shot dead in the latest attack against public officials in the Latin American country.

Private secretary Ximena Guzman and adviser Jose Munoz were shot dead on Tuesday in an early morning ambush in the central neighbourhood of Moderna, city authorities said.

Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada condemned the killings and pledged to continue her administration’s “relentless fight against insecurity”.

“Investigating, clarifying and ensuring there is no impunity is our commitment,” Brugada said during a news conference.

Mexico has one of the highest murder rates on the planet, largely due to violence driven by drug cartels, but the capital is known for its relative security compared with the rest of the country.

Reporting from Mexico City, Al Jazeera’s John Holman said there had been 50 political murders in the country in the first three months of the year alone, though political killings are relatively rare in the capital.

“The reasons for this one are still unknown. But there are powerful criminal groups in the capital fighting for territory and control of lucrative rackets,” Holman said.

“Politicians can get in the way, as elsewhere in the country.”

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, a Brugada ally who previously served as the capital’s mayor, expressed condolences over the killings and said her government would ensure that “justice is served”.

“We express our solidarity and support for the families of these two individuals who have worked in our movement for a long time,” Sheinbaum said.

“We know them, we stand with their families, and we will give her [Brugada] all the support the city needs from the Mexican government.”

In 2020, Mexico City’s security chief, Omar Garcia Harfuch, survived an ambush by gunmen that killed two of his bodyguards and a bystander.