“We were shocked and horrified yesterday to learn about the situation involving the threats by Steve Stephens and the tragic shooting of Mr. Godwin,” the agency said, adding
that its office would be closed on Monday “out of concerns for the safety of our staff, clients and other visitors to our sites.”
Chief Williams said that several GoFundMe fund-raising accounts had been created on behalf of Mr. Godwin but
that the family had asked the public not to donate to those accounts.
Chief Calvin D. Williams of the Cleveland Police Department said on Monday
that the authorities had searched “every location” where Mr. Stephens has resided, as well as places were his family members live.
“Steve, if you’re out there listening, call someone.”
Mr. Stephens, 37, is being sought in what the authorities said was a random shooting of Robert Godwin Sr., 74.
Mr. Stephens said in a video on Sunday that he had killed multiple people, but the police said there was only one known victim.
He was kind and loving to me and my children.”
Mr. Stephens has worked at Beech Brook, a behavioral health agency that serves children, since 2008, the agency said in a statement.
At an earlier news conference, Chief Williams said detectives had talked to Mr. Stephens on the phone, but he did not elaborate.
Mr. Stephens blamed his actions on his mother and an ex-girlfriend, Joy Lane, who in a statement
said she was sorry “that all of this has happened,” television station Cleveland19 reported.