Suspect in shooting incident at Riverview Elementary faces felony charges

Alexander Sinclair, 34, is charged with aggravated assault, discharging a firearm and two counts of kidnapping following an Oct. 31 incident that briefly placed Riverview Elementary School in Painesville Township on lockdown.

According to Painesville Municipal Court records, the charges of aggravated assault and discharging a firearm are second-degree felonies. The kidnapping charges are first-degree felonies.

The court rejected Sinclair’s release on bail. The case has since been transferred from Painesville Municipal Court to Lake County Common Pleas Court.

Sinclair was arrested on October 31 after the events in Riverview. The school was placed on lockdown for nearly an hour that morning, and the incident included a shooting in the school parking lot.

An investigation by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office determined the incident began as a domestic dispute off school property, the sheriff’s office said in a news release later that day.

The news release states that the vehicle the suspect was driving struck a second vehicle on school property. It added that the suspect, later identified as Sinclair, exited his vehicle and walked to the passenger side of the other vehicle. A shot was fired away from the school into the windshield of the second vehicle, but the shot did not hit anyone.

The news release added that the deputy assigned to the school arrested Sinclair. Sinclair, the deputy and the victims in the second vehicle all suffered minor injuries.

The Riverside School District announced this morning that no students or staff were injured.

Painesville Township trustees voted unanimously to praise Deputy Alan Ward’s actions at their Nov. 5 meeting. A Riverside Schools Facebook post said Riverview welcomed Ward back to school on Nov. 6.

“He is doing great and the students and staff are so happy to have their hero back,” Riverside’s post said.