A street party in Akron, Ohio ended with one person dead and 24 people injured on Sunday morning (June 2). According to local news outlets, a shooting broke out shortly after midnight near Kelly and 8th Avenues, and a 27-year-old man was killed.
Akron Mayor Shammas Malik and Akron Police Chief Brian Harding issued a joint statement about the shooting that read, “This morning, our city is reeling after the devastation of senseless violence. With more than two dozen victims, the pain and trauma reverberates across all of Akron today as we search for answers. As with all acts of violence in our city, our hearts are with the victims and their loved ones.
We will bring those responsible to justice, and we need the help of our community to do that. For those who have information about this horrific shooting—we need you to speak up in order to prevent further violence and retaliation. This can be done anonymously.
They continued, “Today, and in the days ahead, we will share more information about this horrific incident. Our city government and our Akron Police Department will continue to prioritize public safety as our number one concern as we aim to end gun violence in our community.”
Akron police officers discovered dozens of shell casings at the scene and one gun, but no arrests have been made.
A witness at the scene told News 5 there were hundreds of people at the party having fun prior to the gunfire. As the witness described, “Everyone was wearing white T-shirts; there were women on top of vehicles dancing. It looked like a scene from a spring break movie. It looked like everyone was having a good time. On our way back it was a completely different scene.”
The name of the deceased hasn’t been released, but the city is feeling the aftermath. The Cleveland Clinic admitted seven patients to the hospital and one of them is in critical condition. The hospital was under a hard lockdown from just after midnight until around 3:30 a.m. local time.
Summa Health, meanwhile, received 15 patients, 13 of whom had non-life-threatening injuries. Some of those individuals have already been released from the hospital, but one person remains in critical condition.
