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2011 Copley Township shooting

SOLVED2005Copley Township, Ohio, United States3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026

Documents violence · crimes against children — written to inform, not to shock.

Illustrative

On August 7, 2011, a mass shooting occurred in Copley Township, Ohio, carried out by 51-year-old Michael E. Hance. Seven people were killed before Hance was shot and killed by Copley police officer Ben Campbell. Hance had reportedly displayed erratic and bizarre behavior in the period before the attack and was considered by acquaintances to be delusional, though he had no formal mental health diagnosis or treatment history beyond herbal remedies.

Using two handguns — a Hi-Point Model JHP .45-caliber pistol and a Smith & Wesson Model 586 .357 Magnum revolver, both purchased from the same Barberton, Ohio store five days earlier — Hance opened fire at a house on Goodenough Avenue. His first victim was his girlfriend, Rebecca K. Dieter, who survived after being shot twice; she called 9-1-1 and later pretended to be dead. Hance then entered an adjacent house and killed Dieter's brother Craig, 16-year-old Autumn Johnson, her grandparents Russell and Gudrun Johnson, and 16-year-old Amelia Shambaugh, who had been seated in a parked car nearby. He chased and killed Autumn's father, Bryan Johnson, in a nearby driveway, then pursued 11-year-old Scott into another house, where Scott was hiding in the basement with residents Melonie Bagley and her three children. Hance found and killed Scott but left the Bagley family unharmed.

As Hance left the scene, Officer Ben Campbell and former Copley Township officer Keith Lavery confronted him and ordered him to drop his weapon. Hance instead raised his gun and fired at them; both men returned fire, and rounds from Campbell's rifle killed Hance.

In the lead-up to the shooting, Hance had been under strain, including caring for Dieter's father, who had dementia, and losing his job. He had tense relations with his neighbors, the Johnsons. He also sought repayment of a previously forgiven debt, using the funds to buy the firearms and ammunition used in the attack, and visited a gun range multiple times beforehand. Police Chief Michael Mier suggested Hance may have been planning a shooting elsewhere, with the Johnsons possibly being incidental victims.

Officer Ben Campbell was later honored with the Top Cops award, presented by President Barack Obama in May 2012, and received the Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery in March 2013. A memorial was held on the shooting's first anniversary. In 2019, the surviving victim, Rebecca Dieter, publicly stated support for red flag laws while maintaining support for Second Amendment rights, and expressed the belief that Hance had suffered from a delusional disorder. The case was later referenced by commentators on both sides of the gun control debate, including gun rights writer Massad Ayoob and gun control advocate Tom Diaz.

Key facts

Victims
Gudrun Johnson, Rebecca K. Dieter, Bryan Johnson, Autumn Johnson, Amelia Shambaugh, Craig Dieter, Scott Dieter, Russell Johnson
Date
2005
Location
Copley Township, Ohio, United States
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 1997

    Hance contacted police about a man threatening him with a gun after confronting him over truck vandalism.

  2. 1978

    Hance graduated from Norton High School.

  3. 2005

    Hance purchased a Smith & Wesson Model 586 .357 Magnum revolver from a Barberton, Ohio store, later used in the shooting.

  4. 2011-08-02

    Hance purchased firearms, a holster, and roughly 200 rounds of ammunition from Sydmor's Jewelry in Barberton, Ohio, five days before the shooting.

  5. 2011-08-06

    Hance visited family with his girlfriend the day before the shooting; relatives noted he appeared agitated.

  6. 2011-08-07

    Michael E. Hance shot and killed seven people in Copley Township, Ohio, before being shot and killed by police officer Ben Campbell.

  7. 2012-05

    Officer Ben Campbell was presented the Top Cops award by President Barack Obama.

  8. 2012-08

    A memorial was held in Copley Township on the first anniversary of the shooting.

  9. 2013-03

    Ben Campbell received the Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery for his actions during the shooting.

  10. 2019-08

    Surviving victim Rebecca Dieter publicly commented on gun policy in the aftermath of the 2019 El Paso and Dayton shootings.

Best coverage

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People

  • Gudrun Johnson

    VICTIM

    64-year-old, Autumn Johnson's grandmother and Hance's neighbor, killed in the shooting.

    citation on file

  • Rebecca K. Dieter

    VICTIM

    Hance's girlfriend; shot twice but survived, the only survivor among those shot.

    citation on file

  • Bryan Johnson

    VICTIM

    44-year-old, Autumn Johnson's father, chased and killed by Hance in a nearby driveway.

    citation on file

  • Michael E. Hance

    CONVICTED

    Perpetrator; shot and killed by police at the scene, so never formally tried, but identified by authorities as the gunman responsible for seven killings.

    citation on file

  • Keith Lavery

    LAW ENFORCEMENT

    Former Copley Township police officer who, alongside Ben Campbell, confronted and fired at Hance.

    citation on file

  • Autumn Johnson

    VICTIM

    16-year-old killed in the shooting.

    citation on file

  • Amelia Shambaugh

    VICTIM

    16-year-old killed while seated in a parked car near the scene.

    citation on file

  • Ben Campbell

    LAW ENFORCEMENT

    Copley police officer who fatally shot Hance; later received the Top Cops award and the Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery.

    citation on file

  • Craig Dieter

    VICTIM

    Rebecca Dieter's brother; killed in the shooting.

    citation on file

  • Scott Dieter

    VICTIM

    11-year-old, Craig Dieter's son, killed after being found hiding in a basement.

    citation on file

  • Russell Johnson

    VICTIM

    67-year-old, Autumn Johnson's grandfather and Hance's neighbor, killed in the shooting.

    citation on file

Places

Copley Township, Ohio, United States

41.0900, -81.6053

View on the map

Common questions

What happened to the victim?
On August 7, 2011, Michael E. Hance shot and killed seven people in Copley Township, Ohio, before being shot and killed by a police officer.
Where did the shooting happen?
Copley Township, Ohio, United States.
Who was convicted?
Michael E. Hance (Perpetrator; shot and killed by police at the scene, so never formally tried, but identified by authorities as the gunman responsible for seven killings.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.

Sources

  1. 2011 Copley Township shootingwikipedia · Wikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. Ohio rampage suspect bought gun from pawn shopnews · CBS News · 2026-07-07
  3. Ohio shootings: Seven dead in Copley Township, Ohionews · BBC News · 2026-07-07
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