Ohio Prison Guard Killed in Christmas Attack at Work

A prison officer in Ohio was attacked and killed by an inmate on Christmas Day in an incident authorities have described as "beyond comprehension." The officer, Andrew Lansing, was assaulted around 7:15am Wednesday at the Ross Correctional Institution in Chillicothe, about 45 miles south of Columbus, according to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC). The inmate allegedly involved was named Thursday as 27-year-old Rashawn Cannon. He was serving time on felonious assault and weapons charges following an incident in September 2023, per Fox News.

Prison officials said the inmate, due to be released in 2030, was transferred to the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility, a maximum security prison in Lucasville. It's unclear what led up to the assault, which is being investigated by the Ohio State Highway Patrol, or where it occurred within the 1,707-acre prison. Officials said Lansing was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead, per ABC News. "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," said ODRC Director Annette Chambers-Smith. "To lose a family member on Christmas Day at the hands of someone in our custody is a tragedy beyond comprehension."

She described Lansing as "a long-time, well-respected employee" at the prison, which employed 320 corrections officers as of September, with 47 positions unfilled. The president of the union representing corrections officers has called for more protections. "An officer was murdered on Christmas Day" and "we're going to insist and demand on accountability," Ohio Civil Service Employees Association President Chris Mabe said, per USA Today. "We're demanding action from the governor's office." A rep for Gov. Mike DeWine said Thursday that his office had not yet received a formal request. The governor has ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of Lansing's "life and service." (More Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction stories.)