Ohio corrections officer allegedly killed by inmate on Christmas Day

An Ohio prison inmate allegedly killed a corrections officer Wednesday at the facility.  

The incident occurred at the Ross Correctional Institution, outside the city of Columbus. 

The slain guard has been identified as Officer Andrew Lansing. However, officials as of Thursday had yet to release the name of the alleged attacker. 

The prison was placed in a lockdown following the homicide, which is being investigated by the Ohio State Highway Patrol and the suspect has been relocated to a maximum security prison in the state, according to ABC News.

It is not clear whether a weapon was used in the attack, or in which area of the prison the attack occurred.

"The loss of a staff person is difficult, but to lose a family member on Christmas Day at the hands of someone in our custody is a tragedy beyond comprehension," said Annette Chambers-Smith, director of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. "Instead of going home after his shift to be with his family on this holiday, Officer Lansing made the ultimate sacrifice, and our agency will never be the same."

The prison, about 43 miles south of Columbus, employed 320 corrections officers, roughly 47 short of being fully staffed, in September. It houses 2,000 inmates, 50% of whom have been identified as a "security threat group," according to a report from the Ohio General Assembly's Correctional Institution Inspection Committee.

Chambers-Smith described Lansing as a "long-time" and "well respected employee" who was loved by his colleagues at the institution.

"He was a friendly, outgoing officer who treated everyone with respect and was always a professional," she added.

The attack comes after the September report found that violent incidents committed against the staff was down 5% in 2023, compared to 2022, and that no homicides had occurred at the prison between 2019 and 2023.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.