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Joseph C. Jennings

Gender : Male

Age : 70

Race : White

Date : 08/07/2025

Location : 93 West Union Street

City : Athens

County : Athens

State : Ohio

Agency : Athens Police Department; Ohio University Police Department; Athens County Special Response Team; Columbus Division of Fire Bomb Squad; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Athens County Sheriff’s Office

Officer(s) :Not Disclosed

Cause of Death : Suicide

Event : Suicide under police duress

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

At approximately 1:20 p.m. on August 7, 2025, Athens Police officers responded to the Beasley Mill apartment complex at 93 West Union Street for reports of a shooting. Officers arrived to find a woman with gunshot wounds; she was stabilized and flown to a Columbus hospital. Witness statements and scene evidence led police to identify 70-year-old Joseph C. Jennings as the shooter, barricaded inside an apartment. A note recovered at the scene claimed there were explosives inside, triggering a full-scale tactical escalation.
Command activated the Athens County Special Response Team (SRT) and requested support from the Columbus Division of Fire Bomb Squad and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The bomb threat prompted a rapid evacuation of nearby buildings and cordoning of several blocks. Armored vehicles were positioned to shield entry teams and block all approaches. SRT operators in full tactical gear established layered perimeters, with sniper-observer teams covering all sightlines and shield-bearing breach units staged for immediate assault.
Negotiators bore down by phone and loudspeaker, but Jennings did not respond. The SRT maintained an aggressive, high-visibility posture while the bomb squad prepared for potential detonation mitigation, staging robots and specialized equipment outside the structure.
When continued silence indicated no movement inside, a drone equipped with live video feed was flown into the apartment under the cover of armed overwatch. The drone located Jennings unresponsive on the floor with a visible firearm. SRT entry teams moved in under ballistic protection, confirmed he had sustained a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and secured the weapon. No explosives were found inside after a complete bomb squad sweep.
The scene was declared safe, and investigators began processing ballistic evidence, the threatening note, and all tactical video recordings.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.nbc4i.com/news/local-news/athens/one-injured-in-shooting-near-ohio-university/
https://www.athensmessenger.com/news/suspect-in-thursday-shooting-dies-by-suicide-after-standoff-according-to-officials/article_de52a5da-82f3-4336-be02-7994edc34483.html