911 AUDIO: Sheriff’s investigators don’t think fatal shooting was random

NEW RUSSIA TWP. — Detectives don’t think the fatal shooting of a 46-year-old man during a gunfight at this brother’s Russia Road home was random.

The Lorain County Sheriff’s Office is still trying to piece together how and why Stephen Paul Mihalak Jr. was shot and killed shortly before midnight Friday, according to Detective Donald Barker.

Listen to the 911 calls:

[audio:http://chronicle.northcoastnow.com/files/2011/11/01-AudioTrack-01.mp3] [audio:http://chronicle.northcoastnow.com/files/2011/11/call2.mp3] [audio:http://chronicle.northcoastnow.com/files/2011/11/call3.mp3]

Mihalak was visiting his brother Donald’s home at 45609 Russia Road, and Donald Mihalak also was shot in the hand during the incident reported at 11:58 p.m. Friday.

Barker said that deputies spoke briefly to Donald Mihalak and plan to talk to him again today if medical treatment issues do not stand in the way.

During the incident, Donald Mihalak returned fire with a semi-automatic weapon similar to an AK-47, Barker said.

When asked if the neighborhood should be concerned, Barker replied “I think they will be worried because it happened in that neighborhood but I don’t think it was random.”

On a 911 tape, Donald Mihalak’s fiancee can be heard begging for help, saying “my fiance is shot and so is my brother-in-law.”

On the tape, fear can be heard in her voice as she says “Get in the house; they’re turning back.”

Barker said the sedan carrying the assailant or assailants apparently paused while leaving the scene, leading her to fear the gunman or gunmen were returning.

Lorain County Coroner Stephen Evans said Mihalak died from a single gunshot wound to the chest. Barker said he died in the ambulance on the way to nearby Lorain County Regional Airport, where LifeFlight was waiting to fly him to MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland.

Anyone with information about anyone who was involved to call the sheriff’s office at 323-1212.

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