A 4-year-old Ohio girl was killed and.a police officer critically wounded in a shootout between police officers and a suicidal man they were called to check on.

Officers found the man walking down a street shortly after 2 p.m. and tried to talk with him, but he opened fire on them “almost immediately,” St. Clair Township Police Department said.

One of the officers was struck in the head, and the little girl was hit by a stray bullet while at a nearby business. Both were flown to hospitals, the officer to a Pittsburgh hospital where he underwent surgery and was reported in critical condition.

The girl was pronounced dead at the hospital, the department announced at 6 p.m.

The man police were called about was also hit by gunfire. Officers administered first aid before medics arrived and took him to a hospital. His condition is not known.

It’s not clear who fired the shot that killed the little girl. St. Clair Township police have asked the Ohio Bureau of Investigation to investigate the shooting.

For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast.

[Featured image: Pixabay]