Couple arrested after fatal road rage shooting in Valley View released

VALLEY VIEW, Ohio — New details have emerged about a fatal anger-fueled shooting late Thursday morning, Valley View police said. Police said the suspected shooter and another person have been released from custody while investigators look into the incident.

The Cuyahoga County Coroner's Office identified 41-year-old Christopher Andexler as the man killed following an argument on the Brecksville Road overpass above Granger Road.

Witnesses told News 5 they saw Andexler and another driver stop, get out of their vehicles and argue before shots were fired. The 41-year-old died at a nearby hospital.

Police investigate after man was shot near Brecksville and Granger streets in Valley View

RELATED: Police investigate after man was shot near Brecksville and Granger streets in Valley View

The suspected 28-year-old shooter drove away from the scene. Police said his car broke down on Schaaf Road. Neighbors said it burst into flames after the suspect, a 28-year-old woman and her young children escaped the car unharmed.

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Scorched grass on Ken Lasky's property on Friday was a reminder of the bizarre series of events a day earlier.

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“It was coming down the driveway burning. And all I could think was that something could ignite the fuel and cause it to burst into flames,” Lasky recalled. “They were lucky to escape without death or injury.”

A security camera captured an image of the suspected shooter carrying a child safety seat near one of the buildings on the property. Both the man and woman in the car were arrested by Brooklyn Heights police. The children, ages 4 and 2, were turned over to Child Protective Services.

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“He ran toward my garden,” Lasky said. “That morning, my wife said, 'I'm going down and picking tomatoes.' Something happened; she didn't do it, but she might have been down there picking tomatoes. [near] some guy with a gun.”

The Valley View police chief described the investigation as complicated. He said investigators had received conflicting witness statements about what happened before the shooting. Prosecutors concluded there was not enough evidence to take the couple into custody. They were released Thursday evening. As of Friday morning, their children were still in custody at Child Protective Services.

Neighbors and witnesses described the incident as bizarre and disturbing.

“It's rare,” Lasky said. “It's strange and it's rare.”

The police chief said that while the couple initially tried to flee the scene, they were more cooperative once in custody and answered investigators' questions. He said Valley View police, the Ohio BCI and the Cuyahoga County District Attorney's Office are reviewing the case and will file charges.