LANCASTER, Ohio (WCMH) — Two people are dead, another victim is hospitalized and a man is under arrest after a shooting in Lancaster on Tuesday. 

According to the Lancaster Police Department, the shooting happened on the 1200 block of North Broad Street at approximately 5:30 p.m. 

Lancaster Police Chief Nicholas Snyder said upon arrival, a lone officer encountered a 26-year-old man with a firearm. The officer fired at the suspect before he made it to the front door; the suspect sustained a gunshot wound, but it is unclear if it was from the officer or happened before the officer arrived. 

The man is receiving “critical medical care,” police said, but is expected to survive; the officer was not injured.

A woman was found outside the home suffering from a gunshot wound to the head; she is being treated for critical injuries. Two males were then found dead in the home, suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. Police have not released the identities of the deceased; Snyder said there is a relationship between the victims and the suspect.

“There is a connection between the suspect and the individuals inside,” Snyder said. “However, to be definitive on what exact relationship that is at this time would not be beneficial to the investigation.”

According to police, a fourth person who said they saw the whole incident is being interviewed by police.

Police initially reported the incident as “an active situation involving gunfire and serious injuries” and urged residents to stay away from the area. Snyder said the call came in as a behavioral health situation.

“Behavioral health, it’s not like you can say, ‘Hey, a bank robbery occurred so we need to send four officers’ or ‘There’s a gun involved. We need to send eight officers,'” Snyder said. “A behavioral health call can be anything from a family member disagreeing with somebody and acting out of the ordinary all the way to an incident involving a firearm.”

Lancaster Police are investigating the potential homicides while the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is investigating the “armed encounter” between the suspect and the police. 

“The area is considered secure and safe at this time despite the heavy police presence,” Lancaster Police posted to social media.