An Ohio police officer was shot and killed after being “ambushed” by a gunman, authorities said

Authorities in Ohio are searching for a suspect who is believed to have fatally shot a police officer near Cleveland on Saturday evening. They said the officer was shot after he was “ambushed” while responding to a disturbance call in the city of Euclid.

Euclid police said officers were dispatched to a home for a reported disturbance just before 10 p.m.

“While police were investigating, a gunman ambushed an officer and struck him with gunfire,” police said.

The officer, whose name was not immediately released, was taken to a hospital but died from his injuries, police said. He was 23 years old and had been on the force for less than a year, CBS affiliate WOIO reported. Fox affiliate WJW reported that the officer was a military veteran.

“The Euclid Police Department asks that you keep the fallen officer, his family, loved ones and our agency in your thoughts and prayers. Further details will be announced as appropriate,” Capt. Mitch Houser of the Euclid Police Department said in a news release.

“Multiple law enforcement agencies” were involved in the search for the person responsible, Houser said.

The Ohio Attorney General’s Office posted photos online of the suspect and the vehicle being sought. Citing Houser’s confirmation, WOIO reported that the suspect was identified as 24-year-old Deshawn Anthony Vaughn. Authorities said Vaughn was armed and extremely dangerous, the station said.

Residents who live on the street where the incident occurred said they remembered hearing about a dozen gunshots, NBC affiliate WKYC reported.

Euclid Police Chief Scott Meyer described the slain officer as “an amazing human being” with “a big heart” and “an incredible smile.”

“The world is a better place with him,” Meyer said.

Mayor Kirsten Holzheimer Gail said in a statement on Sunday: “We are struggling with a deep sense of sadness and disbelief.” The mayor called on the community to “come together in solidarity and support, not just to honor a hero who selflessly sacrificed us served and protected, but also to give strength to one another in this time of grief.”

Authorities have asked anyone with information related to the shooting and the suspect to contact the Euclid Police Department or the U.S. Marshals Service.