An Ohio community is grieving after two people were found shot to death inside a Lakewood home in what police are investigating as a double homicide that ended with the suspected gunman taking his own life.
Amanda Leigh Wakut, 33, and Richard Eastin, 35, were found fatally shot in the kitchen of a Lakewood residence on Sunday, June 21, according to authorities and local reports.
Police said the investigation began early Sunday morning after a man allegedly told his ex-wife that he had shot two people inside the home and planned to shoot himself.
When officers arrived at the scene, they saw a pickup truck speeding away from the area. Police followed the vehicle in a brief pursuit before the driver, identified only as a 45-year-old man, stopped.
According to a police report, the man got out of the truck with a gun pointed at his head. Officers tried to speak with him, but he fatally shot himself at the scene.
Police later went inside the Lakewood home and found Wakut and Eastin dead in the kitchen.
Authorities have not publicly released the suspected gunman’s name. Lakewood police said the 45-year-old man was Wakut’s boyfriend, but they could not comment on her relationship with Eastin.
A possible motive has not been determined, and the investigation remains ongoing.
The deaths have left loved ones devastated.
Wakut is being remembered as a devoted mother, a powerlifter and someone who inspired the people around her to be stronger.
A GoFundMe created to help support her son described her as the kind of person who pushed others to become better, whether she was helping clients perfect their form, showing dedication and determination, or simply being there when a friend needed her.
“She helped the people around her be better,” the fundraiser said.
Eastin is also being mourned by those who knew and loved him. A separate GoFundMe described him as “genuine, kind-hearted, and loyal.”
“Richard was a goal-driven person who worked hard for the things he believed in and cared deeply for the people in his life,” the fundraiser said.
The tribute continued, saying Eastin was the type of person who would “give the shirt off his back” to help someone in need without expecting anything in return.
The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office identified Wakut and Eastin as the victims, according to reports.
