KIRKERSVILLE, OH (WCMH) — The family of Cindy Krantz walked around the Kirkersville crime scene today trying to get a better understanding of exactly what happened.
Kranz, a nurse at their Pine Kirk Care Center, was one of three people shot and killed by Thomas Hartless Friday morning before Hartless killed himself.
Hartless was apparently intent on murdering his girlfriend, Marlina Medrano.
Hartless took two men hostage in the alley behind the nursing facility while he waited for Medrano to come down the back stairs at the end of her shift. Hartless told the hostages he didn’t want to hurt them. He said he planned to kill Medrano and kill himself.MORE: How to donate to the Kirkersville victims
One of the hostages used his cell phone to call 911, tucking it underneath his chest as he lay face down. He can be heard pleading with Hartless to let them go.
“You don’t have to have us hostage,” he says. “She’s coming out. We’re going to go get in the truck and go to work.”
While they waited, the hostage tried to whisper messages to a 911 dispatcher.
“We need help over in Kirkersville,” he says. Over the next several minutes, he whispers, “There’s a guy’s got a shotgun… He’s talking about killing someone… We’re behind the nursing home… Hurry up.”
Then a few minutes later, Kirkersville Chief Eric DiSario pulled up in his cruiser. Police say Hartless shot and killed DiSario as he was getting out of the vehicle. Investigators say Hartless then forced his way into the nursing home and killed Medrano and Kranz before finally turning the shotgun on himself.