The 18-year-old victim was found inside an apartment on West Third Street.
MANSFIELD, Ohio — Mansfield police are investigating after 18-year-old Le’ondra Messner was fatally shot Wednesday night inside an apartment on West Third Street.
The shooting was reported about 10:38 p.m. at 794 W. Third St. Officers found Messner inside the apartment after bullets were fired through a nearby window from outside. She was taken to OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital, where she died from her injuries.
Police Chief Jason Bammann said Messner had gone to the apartment to visit a friend and had been there only a short time before the gunfire began. “It appears that those shots were fired directly at her,” Bammann said. He said detectives were trying to answer whether someone followed her or waited for her arrival.
Police said the shots appeared to come from close range outside the apartment. Investigators had not released the number of shots fired, the type of weapon used or a suspect description. Bammann said the case was still developing and detectives were piecing together the timeline.
Neighbor Art Carter said he stepped outside after seeing a rescue squad and police lights. Carter said officers were moving through yards and around the apartment after the shooting. He said another neighbor told him people ran around a corner and got into a car, though police had not verified that report.
Detectives have spoken with persons of interest, Bammann said, but no charges had been filed. Police are treating the death as a homicide and are continuing to review evidence from the apartment, the area outside the window and witness accounts from the neighborhood.
The killing marked a sudden act of violence in a residential area just west of central Mansfield. Carter said the death was especially painful because of Messner’s age. “It was just sad that it happened to somebody so young,” he said.
The investigation remained open Friday, with police still seeking answers about who fired through the window and what led to the shooting.
Author note: Last updated May 22, 2026.