Amid hundreds of tips - direct to law enforcement officials and across social media - Cleveland police warned early Monday that residents in Pennsylvania, New York, Indiana and Michigan should be on the lookout for 37-year-old Steve Stephens, who is driving a white Ford Fusion and is believed to be armed and dangerous. "Suspect may be out-of-state at this time...Those outside of Northeast Ohio: Contact Local Authorities."
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As The New York Post reports, the deranged gunman who randomly executed an elderly Cleveland resident and posted footage of the killing on Facebook has possibly fled the city - and may be on the loose in another state, cops say.
As Cleveland's News5 reports, rumors filled social media but, case after case, the information led police to a dead end.
News 5 went to about a dozen scenes from the east side of Cleveland to Solon to Chesterland . We shot video of several white cars — like the one the suspect is reportedly driving — being checked out by police.
In Maple Heights, someone called saying they saw a man matching the description of the shooter walking into the Giant Eagle on Warrensville Center Road. Maple Heights, Bedford, Bedford Heights, and Regional Transit police responded but did not find the suspect.
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After hours of misinformation being circulated online, Cleveland police are telling citizens to make sure they pay attention to reliable social media feeds.
"Misinformation in emergencies is dangerous," a Cleveland police spokesperson wrote.
Still, tips are essential in this case and police encourage anyone who sees the vehicle or Steve Stephens to immediately call 911.
"Everybody is out there looking for Steve," Calvin Williams, the Cleveland police chief, told a news conference, where he joined Mayor Frank Jackson in asking Stephens to turn himself in.
"We want this to end with as much peace as we can bring to this right now," Williams said, adding police knew of no other victims.