At least one person died and 24 others were injured in a mass shooting shortly after midnight Sunday at a large outdoor party at Kelly and 8th Avenue in Akron.
A 27-year-old man died in the incident, according to a news release from the Akron Police Department. According to a Summa Health spokesperson, he was dead upon arrival at the hospital.
According to spokespersons for Cleveland Clinic Akron General and Akron City, one patient at each hospital was listed in critical condition.
Akron Police Captain. Michael Miller said he was not aware of any arrests related to the shooting, and preliminary investigations indicate it was a targeted incident.
“We don’t think there’s any risk (to the public) at this point,” Miller said. “Inspectors worked around the clock, trying to identify what happened, who was there, who had a role to play.”
Police responded to several 911 calls reporting shots fired and several people injured. Soon after, several victims began showing up at local hospitals.
A firearm and several dozen shell casings were recovered at the scene, according to Akron police.
Police initially said 27 people were shot, but later revised that number to 25.
Akron Mayor Shammas Malik and Police Chief Brian Harding Release Statement
Mayor Shammas Malik and Police Chief Brian Harding issued a joint statement to the media Sunday morning:
“This morning, our city is in shock after the devastation of senseless violence. With more than two dozen victims, the pain and trauma reverberates throughout Akron today as we search for answers. As with all acts of violence in our city, our thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones.
In the release, Malik and Harding encourage anyone with information about the shootings to contact police.
“For those who have information about this horrific shooting, we need you to speak out to prevent further violence and retaliation,” the mayor and police chief said. “This can be done anonymously.”
Anyone with information is asked to call the Akron Police Department Detective Bureau at 330-375-2490 or Summit County Crimestoppers at 330-434-COPS or text TIPSCO with your tips to 274637 .
Former city councilor says shooting happened at big birthday party
Tara Mosley Weems lives directly across the street from where Sunday morning’s shooting took place. She said she heard several gunshots that appeared to come from two different types of weapons. Its cameras filmed people running, screaming and fleeing the scene.
Mosley Weems previously served as an Akron Ward 5 city councilor, but declined to run again for that role in 2023 to seek the Democratic nomination for mayor.
Mosley Weems said the large, one-night party, which she said was attended by about 100 people, was to celebrate the birthday of a local man she said she had known since he was a little child.
“He’s a very nice young man, a very nice, good kid,” Mosley Weems said. “Everyone knows their family. Most of us have lived in this neighborhood our entire lives. We all really did.
Mosley Weems said police were at the party about a half-hour before the shooting to ask partygoers to move their cars.
She spoke of the need for residents to report the violence, adding that her own home had been targeted twice. It was in 2021.
“If you know something, say it. And that’s why, during my time on the city council, I pushed for Ring cameras to be installed in the neighborhood.
Cleveland Clinic says Akron’s blanket lockdown has been lifted
A spokesperson for Cleveland Clinic Akron General confirmed that the hospital admitted seven patients with gunshot wounds early Sunday and that one patient was in critical condition. The emergency department was placed on strict lockdown shortly after midnight. The lockdown was lifted at 3:26 a.m.
Akron Municipal Hospital treats 15 patients following mass shooting
According to an Akron Municipal Hospital spokesperson, the facility received 15 patients present during the shooting, including the man who died. Thirteen of the patients had non-life-threatening injuries, and several have been or are being released.
More:How is a mass shooting defined in the United States?
Where is Kelly Avenue and what part of Akron is it located?
The Kelly Avenue area where the shooting occurred is in the city’s East Akron neighborhood. The location is several blocks south of Interstate 76, in a residential neighborhood not far from Joy Park and the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. headquarters.
Shooting follows other recent gun violence in Joy Park area
The Joy Park neighborhood in East Akron has been the site of at least three other shootings in the past two months:
- On May 21, around 9:35 p.m., Akron Police responded to reports of a shooting in the 1400 block of Minson Way. A 19-year-old man, shot in the torso, was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
- On the evening of May 2, police responded to a shooting that left a 15-year-old girl with non-life-threatening injuries at Joy Park Homes. Police reported on May 16 that two teenagers had been arrested and charged in the shooting.
- On April 4, around 4:37 a.m., police were called to the 400 block of Weeks Street where a 35-year-old man was shot in the neck. He was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said. A neighboring house and a car were also hit by gunfire.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
