By: WLWT Digital Staff

CINCINNATI — Four people – including the gunman – are dead following what police called an active shooter situation in downtown Cincinnati.

It happened around 9 a.m. Thursday at Fifth Third Center on Walnut Street, a 30-story building that’s home to regional banker Fifth Third Bancorp and other businesses.

Police said the gunman, identified as Omar Enrique Perez, 29, went into a sandwich shop and possibly other businesses before entering the lobby and opening fire around 9:10 a.m.

He was wearing a business suit at the time, according to several sources.

Perez shot five people in the lobby, police said. Three people were killed. The victims have been identified as Pruthvi Raj Kandepi, 25, Richard Newcomer, 64, and Luis Felipe Calderón, 48, according to the Hamilton County Coroner.

Two others were wounded.

Perez was confronted by four Cincinnati police officers inside the building, officials said, and a shootout commenced.

Perez was killed in the shootout, Cincinnati Police Chief Elliot Isaac said. Isaac also said the shooter acted alone, and there is no further threat to the public.

No officers were injured in the incident, and Perez’s motive remains unclear. Police confirm that Perez was not a current or former employee of the bank.

Isaac said that Perez had one weapon on him — a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol — and had several hundred rounds of ammunition. It appears the gun was purchased legally, he said.

“This could have been a bloodbath beyond imagination,” Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters said.

Deters said that several officers fired through the glass of the building in an attempt to thwart an active shooter situation.

“It could have been a lot worse. People in this town should just thank a cop when they see them, because what they did today was just unbelievable,” Deters said.

The chaos unfolded alongside Fountain Square, the heavily trafficked park at the city’s center.

Witnesses heard more than a dozen gunshots ring out as they walked to work during the morning rush.

Several nearby buildings were placed on lockdown as the situation unfolded. SWAT teams swept several of those buildings to ensure safety and to search for possible additional victims.

Officials with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office confirm they are searching the apartment of the now-dead gunman in North Bend, Ohio, a sleepy riverside community of Cincinnati’s west side.

Sen. Rob Portman has released a brief statement as details develop, saying, in part, “My staff and I are following the situation in Cincinnati. If you’re downtown, please follow first responder instructions for the safety of everyone involved. Jane and I hope for a peaceful resolution soon.”

Officials with Fifth Third Bank released a statement in the wake of the shooting, saying, in part, “Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone caught up in this terrible event. We continue to work with law enforcement as we ensure the safety of our employees and customers. We are grateful for the support and concerns from our neighbors throughout Cincinnati and the country.”

They have asked employees not to come to work Friday and encouraged them to join a vigil taking place at 4 p.m. on Fountain Square.