Cleveland police searching for shooting suspect who posted video on Facebook

An Ohio man claimed to be angry at a woman when he shot and killed an elderly passerby Sunday afternoon and posted the murder on Facebook. Police urged the suspect to turn himself in, but he remained on the loose into the night.

Law enforcement officials identified the suspect as Steve Stephens, and Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams said officers were searching for him in the Cleveland area and beyond. 

The victim was identified as 74-year-old Robert Godwin Sr.

Police in Ohio urged residents in surrounding states on Monday to be on alert for Stephens. Police said he should be considered armed and dangerous. Late Sunday, police issued an aggravated murder warrant for him, and in a statement said that he may have travelled out of state.

The FBI said it was assisting in the investigation.

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In a statement Sunday night, Facebook said the suspect did go live on the social media site at one point during the day, but not during the killing. Police earlier Sunday had said that Stephens had broadcast it on Facebook Live.

In the video, which appears shaky, a man gets out of his car and appears to randomly target Godwin, who was holding a shopping bag. The man says the name of a woman, whom Godwin does not seem to recognize.

"She's the reason that this is about to happen to you," the man tells Godwin before pointing a gun at him. Godwin can be seen shielding his face with the shopping bag.

The victim's son, Robert Godwin Jr., told Cleveland.com that he can't bring himself to watch the video.

"I haven't watched the video. I haven't even looked at my cellphone or the news," Godwin said. "I don't really want to see it."

He said his father, a retired foundry worker, collected aluminum cans and often walked with a plastic shopping bag, picking cans up if he saw them on ground. The son said he believed his father was looking for cans on Sunday when Stephens approached him.

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson publicly urged Stephens to turn himself in to police and not to "do any more harm to anybody."

"Any problems he is having, we can have a conversation," Jackson said.

In a separate video, Stephens claimed to have killed more than a dozen other people.

"Like I said, I killed 13, so I'm working on 14 as we speak," he said.

Williams said police have not verified any other shootings or deaths.

"There are no more victims that we know are tied to him," he said.

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The chief also said they've been talking with family and friends of Stephens, who is employed at Beech Brook, a behavioural health agency headquartered in Pepper Pike, near Cleveland.

"We are shocked and horrified and we don't know anything more about it," agency spokeswoman Nancy Kortemeyer told WOIO-TV. "We hope and pray that he is arrested as soon as possible and we hope and pray for a resolution quickly."

It was not immediately known what Stephens does for the agency, which said it will serve more than 18,000 children and families this year, according to its website.

The video of the killing was up on Facebook for about three hours before it was removed. Stephens's Facebook page also has been removed.

"This is a horrific crime and we do not allow this kind of content on Facebook," said a spokesperson for Facebook. "We work hard to keep a safe environment on Facebook, and are in touch with law enforcement in emergencies when there are direct threats to physical safety."