ELYRIA, Ohio -- Three men broke into an Elyria home Tuesday and pistol-whipped the homeowner, the Elyria Police Department said.

The break-in happened just after 7:30 p.m. at a home near Gates and Middle avenues.

The 39-year-old victim said that one of the men forced his way into the house and struck him in the face with a gun. A witness reported hearing a gunshot just after the break in, according to police reports.

Investigators found a single bullet hole in the wall behind the open front door, the news release said.

The man was able to get his own .22 caliber rifle and the assailants fled his home, police say.

All Betlike three of the men fled on foot running westbound on Howe Street toward Middle Avenue.

The victim suffered a cut above his right eye and another cut on the top of his head, Elyria police said. He declined medical treatment.

The intruders were not arrested and police have released no information about their identities. 

Anyone with information is asked to call Elyria police at 440-323-3302.

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