New information released in Vermilion fatal shooting

Editor's note: Joseph Jones is a Register correspondent representing vermiliondaily.com. VERMILION — New details emerged in the fatal shooting of a Vermilion woman on July 10. Police arrested 35-year-old Bryan J. Hall at the scene in the 500 block of Ferndale Ave. He was charged with aggravated murder, arraigned in Vermilion Municipal Court, and is locked up in Lorain County Jail where he remains on a $1 million bond as of Friday. The case has since been transferred to the Lorain County grand jury for further review. As of late Friday, a formal indictment has not yet been posted in the county docket. Hall is accused of fatally shooting Ashlee Summer McPeak, 34, in what law enforcement described as a domestic violence incident. McPeak, originally of Virginia, was set to travel to Tennessee to visit family the day after the shooting occurred. McPeak's young daughter was present during the tragedy. According to Vermilion Mayor Jim Forthofer, the girl was cared for at Vermilion Fire Station No. 1 rather than the police station in an effort to provide a quiet and secure space during an unimaginably traumatic time. She remained there under the supervision of first responders until family members arrived from Tennessee to bring her home. A funeral service occurred in Columbia, Tennessee, where McPeak's family resides. Her death has left a lasting mark on the Vermilion community, with community members sharing tributes in her memory, including on gunmemorial.org.