Details still scarce in deadly Dragway 42 shooting

WEST SALEM — Further details remain scarce in a Sunday night shooting that left one person dead and at least five more injured at Dragway 42 racetrack. Wayne County Sheriff's Office Capt. Douglas Hunter provided a video update Monday afternoon on the department's Facebook page, encouraging residents to continue sharing evidence with law enforcement. "Not much has changed at all and there's still a lot of work to be done on this case," Hunter said. "Our folks are following up on a number of leads and I want to say thank you to those who've shared various clips of video with us. If you have video of that incident or pictures or any information at all, please feel free to share that with us." According to investigators and bystanders, the incident stemmed from an unidentified man driving his truck recklessly in the site's gravel parking lot, kicking up rocks and dirt at those nearby. The situation reportedly led to the driver of the truck stepping out to confront other racetrack guests and firing at least one shot into the crowd. A widely shared bystander video of the shooting includes a cluster of audible gunshots just after the initial shot rang out. "Our goal is to get to the truth of the matter and sometimes the truth of the matter is not what you first think," Hunter said. "Results are sometimes slow to come in because the investigative process has to be thorough, accurate and with the goal of getting the truth." Investigators believe more than 20 shots were fired at the track, located in the far northwest corner of the county at 9161 Rainbow Highway, and that at least one person fired a gun back at the initial shooter. The truck driver was also reportedly under the influence of alcohol and fled the area with the help of others. A description of the man or vehicle has not been provided. Two people were taken by ambulance to local hospitals on Sunday with as many as four other victims taking themselves or being transported. One of those people died in a hospital-bound ambulance and has not yet been identified. Hunter said he was an innocent bystander. "Once our investigation is completed, we'll reach out to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office and present them with the evidence we've gathered," Hunter said. "A decision is made at that time as to what charges are going to be filed, when they're going to be filed, and so forth. We'll take the amount of time that's necessary to gather the information accurately and fairly for all involved." Contact reporter Jonathan Delozier at (330) 721-4050 or jdelozier@medina-gazette.com.