Alexander Sinclair, an off-duty police officer with the Cleveland Division of Police, was arrested Thursday morning following a shooting in the parking lot of Riverview Elementary School in Painesville Township. Sinclair reportedly fired a shot into a car during a domestic dispute, leading to a temporary school lockdown.
Key Takeaways:
- Who is Alexander Sinclair? An off-duty Cleveland police officer, Sinclair was involved in a shooting incident in Riverview Elementary’s parking lot amid a domestic dispute, resulting in his arrest.
- A school resource officer swiftly intervened, averting potential harm. Sinclair was detained and is facing charges.
- Riverview Elementary was placed on lockdown as a precaution, and grief counseling support was provided for the school community.
Who Is Alexander Sinclair?
The shooting took place around 9 a.m. on October 31, 2024, after a domestic altercation that began off-campus escalated into Riverview Elementary’s parking lot. According to reports, two vehicles collided, and Sinclair, stepping out of his vehicle, fired a shot through the windshield of the other car. The bullet, fired away from the school building, did not result in any major injuries, but led to a prompt response from the school’s resource officer.
Lake County Sheriff Frank Leonbruno confirmed that the deputy stationed at the school, upon hearing the gunshot, approached the scene, confronted Sinclair, and managed to detain him after a brief struggle, which reportedly involved the use of a Taser. Sinclair, along with a woman and child in the other vehicle, was taken to a hospital for precautionary checks.
Riverside Local Schools issued a statement assuring families that all safety protocols were followed and that the students and staff were never directly threatened. The district emphasized that the gunshot was fired away from the school grounds toward Madison Avenue and was not aimed at any school property or persons within the school.
In a statement on social media, Sheriff Leonbruno praised the swift response of the school’s resource officer, Deputy Ward, whose actions prevented further escalation. “Without this arrangement, the deputy would not have been on scene nearly as fast to take the heroic actions he did in ensuring all children and staff were safe,” he wrote.
Alexander Sinclair has been booked into the Lake County Jail and awaits arraignment on charges relating to the shooting. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office continues its investigation to better understand the events leading up to the incident, while Cleveland police confirmed Sinclair’s involvement to local media, including Fox 8’s I-Team, which first broke the story.
Following the shooting, grief counselors from Signature Health were available at Riverview Elementary for any students or staff affected by the incident. The school lifted the lockdown by mid-morning, allowing parents to pick up their children if desired.
