'It wasn't right what happened to him,' wife said of Akron man killed in road rage shooting

A man has died in an apparent road rage shooting on Interstate 76 near state Route 21 in Norton on Wednesday, according to the Summit County Medical Examiner's Office and Norton Police Department.

Norton police and the Ohio Highway Patrol initially responded to a report of a single-car accident on I-76 eastbound near the Easton Road overpass around 5:35 p.m. Wednesday. They found the driver had several gunshot wounds.

He was identified as George Jensen, 40, of Akron. Jensen was taken to Cleveland Clinic Akron General, where he died from his injuries around 6:15 p.m.

The medical examiner's office said Jensen was traveling east in a vehicle on I-76, near state Route 21, when a person who was traveling in another vehicle fired several gunshots at his vehicle, which came to a stop when it struck the concrete median.

Norton police said that before the shooting, there appeared to be a road rage incident between Jensen and another driver in a black 2018 or newer Chevy Camaro as the two traveled on I-76, and the driver of the Camaro fired multiple gunshots toward Jensen's car as it drove past.

Allison Jensen waited for hours for news about her husband

Jensen's widow, Allison Jensen, said Thursday her husband was adamantly opposed to the type of gun violence that took his life Wednesday.

"He was a sweet, compassionate man," she said. "He was really smart, loved animals. It wasn't right what happened to him."

Jensen said she suspected something was wrong when her husband didn't return to their Akron home at the usual time.

"When he leaves work he always come straight home," she said.

As her worries increased, she called the Wadsworth Police Department because Jensen's workplace, ECS Tuning, is located there.

Scott Keenan, a co-worker with Jensen at ECS, also began making calls to area law enforcement agencies and hospitals.

But it wasn't until about 10 p.m., three hours later, that Allison Jensen, with family and Keenan gathered at her Akron home, got the news.

"(W)e didn't get information from anybody; it was hours," she said. "…What are they doing in Norton? Come on. His ID was on him. They took him into the hospital for treatment… They could have sent a human being out to tell his entire family."

George Jensen was 'staunchly opposed to gun violence'

Keenan, a Silver Lake resident, said he and Jensen followed the same path on their way home. He described Jensen as his best friend since they were both 9.

They had known each other since fourth grade, when they met in church. Jensen went to school in Stow, while Keenan attended school in Cuyahoga Falls.

Keenan said "Geo," Jensen's nickname, was dedicated to his work and was a gifted systems engineer.

"He was staunchly opposed to gun violence," Keenan said. "He was alarmed at the mass shooting incidents all around the country."

'People pulled over to try to save' George Jensen

The two men left work on Wednesday about five minutes apart, said Keenan.

"I had seen an accident on our mutual route home," Keenan said.

When Keenan learned from Allison Jensen that his friend was two hours late returning home, his concerns grew and he began searching for information.

He said he has since learned that the incident apparently took place as Jensen and an individual in another vehicle were at full speed on the highway.

"(Witnesses) saw an arm come out holding a gun and 'pop, pop, pop, pop,' and Geo's car swung wildly across lanes of traffic," said Keenan. "(He) went across three lanes and back across three lanes. People pulled over to try to save him."

Among those who tried to help were two nurses, Keenan said.

"They said he was alive for about 15 or 20 minutes, but the nurses lost the pulse just as the ambulance pulled up," he said.

George Jensen's widow seeks justice, not revenge

Allison Jensen said her husband was the oldest of three children. They celebrated their 13th anniversary in October and met 18 years ago at a concert.

Jensen received his nickname "Geo" when his younger brother began calling him that as a child.

She said the person who shot her husband should be held accountable.

"I am not here for (any) revenge fantasies — I just want justice," Allison Jensen said. "I want him to be tried like anyone else."

Keenan said he knows someone saw something that will help investigators and implored them to contact police."Somebody kept driving behind that car that killed my friend," he said. "On a rush hour highway."

Memorial services are being planned for Silver Lake Church, with calling hours at Redmon Funeral Home in Stow, Keenan said. The times and dates are still being finalized.

Allison Jensen said she's still processing what happened.

"It's like every experience going forward is the worst day in your life," she said. "Because I have to figure out everything going forward without him."

Driver of Camaro involved in shooting

The driver of the Camaro was last seen leaving the area on I-76 eastbound. Anyone with information or who witnessed the incident should call the Norton Police Department Detective Bureau at 330-706-0084.

The Ohio Department of Transportation temporarily closed I-76 in Norton on Wednesday night while officers processed the crime scene.

An advisory at 6:25 p.m. from Norton warned drivers to avoid that section of the interstate, saying it would be closed for an unknown amount of time. By 9:15 p.m., ODOT cameras at the intersection of I-76 and state Route 21 showed normal traffic flowing. A minute later, Norton lifted its advisory.

Norton Councilman Doug DeHarpart said he went to the scene near the Easton Road overpass Wednesday night and saw several officers standing in the middle of I-76. He counted about nine Norton and state troopers at the scene at about 8:38 p.m.

He said police appeared to be looking for something along the roadway.

Another fatal road rage incident in Ohio

A similar road rage incident happened in Cincinnati last weekend on Interstate 75, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Michael Thomas Sweeney, 70, died Monday after he was shot in the head during a road rage incident Saturday night. Police have not released any information about possible suspects or arrests in the incident but said the homicide unit is investigating.

Sweeney was a prominent Greater Cincinnati businessman with more than four decades in the automobile industry.

Cincinnati road rage shooting: Michael Sweeney, well-known automobile businessman, killed in 'road rage incident'

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: George Jensen killed in road rage shooting on Interstate 76 in Norton