Ohio Gunman Final Victim Was 11-Year-Old Child He Hunted Down

Aug. 8, 2011 — -- The final victim of the rampaging Ohio gunman who killed seven people was an 11-year-old boy he hunted down, killing him in a neighbor's basement where he was hiding.

The gunman was identified today as Michael Hance, 51.

All but one of his victims were also identified today with most of them being relatives of his girlfriend, Rebecca Dieter, who were in town from Kentucky for a family reunion they were planning on attending later in the day.

Rebecca Dieter was the only survivor of Sunday's shooting rampage. Police said she suffered multiple gunshot wounds.

Hance became the eighth casualty when he was killed by police officer.

Ohio Gunman Identified as Michael Hance

Copley Police Chief Michael Mier told ABCNews.com that police are baffled by the shooting spree which has stunned the town of 17,000 people about 40 miles south of Cleveland.

"I don't think we can tell you with any degree of certainty yet why this happened," Mier said.

He said police aren't even sure of the sequence of events. "We're still piecing things together," Meir said.

The most troubling part of the carnage, however, was Hance's apparent determination to kill Scott Dieter, his girlfriend's 11-year-old nephew.

"That's one of the puzzles here, why he was going after the child," Mier said at the news conference today.

What police have determined so far is that Hance shot his girlfriend at her home where he was also living. He shot five people outside an adjacent house: Rebecca Dieter's brother Craig Dieter, 51, Russell and Gudrun Johnson, their granddaughter Autumn Johnson, 16, and a teenager whose identity wasn't released because his family wasn't yet notified..

It appears that the gunman then pursued at least two people through neighboring backyards, Bryan Johnson, 44, and little Scott Dieter.

Police said the two split up and run in different directions. Hance chose to keep pursuing Bryan Johnson, who he quickly shot and killed. Hance then doubled back and went hunting for the boy, who had sought protection in a neighbor's house.

A woman had let Scott Dieter into her house and hid with him in her basement along with her own children and boyfriend, in an effort to protect him. Police say Hance forced his way into the basement and shot the child, but did not attempt to hurt anyone else.

While Hance was forcing his way into the home, a 911 call from the woman recorded the family's terror. In the call, a child can be heard crying in the background and the woman cries, "We are so scared," as the shooter enters her house.

After shooting Scott Dieter, Hance exited the house where he was confronted by a police officer and a civilian who was a former police officer. Mier said that the officer asked Hance to drop his weapon, but shot him when Hance refused to comply.

Mier said that everything indicates that it was the police officer who shot and killed the gunman.

Little is currently known about the shooter. Mier said that Hance has no previous arrest record. He was carrying two handguns. An autopsy will determine whether drugs or alcohol were at play. The chief said he was not sure if Hance had a mental issue, but said they are looking at an incident in another community where Hance may have said things that indicate he may have had a problem.

Rebecca Dieter, the lone survivor, is in the hospital but police said her condition has not been released and they have not been able to interview her yet.