Akron, Ohio – The Akron community is in shock following a tragic mass shooting that occurred shortly after midnight on Sunday. The incident left one individual dead and 24 others injured. The Gun Violence Archive defines a mass shooting as an incident where a minimum of four victims are shot or killed, not including the shooter.
Looking back at previous mass shootings in Summit County reveals a history of senseless violence. In 1983, four college students were wounded in a drive-by shooting in Akron. A decade later, in 1993, a deadly rampage in South Akron resulted in the death of a woman and the injury of three others. Fast forward to 2008, where a robbery attempt at an Akron barbershop turned deadly, with one would-be robber killed and three men wounded.
In 2011, a deadly rampage in Copley Township shocked the community as Michael Hance killed seven people and wounded a 49-year-old woman. In 2013, a quadruple slaying near Chapel Hill shook Akron to its core, with four people found shot to death in a townhouse basement. The following year, a gunman opened fire on a memorial vigil in Lane Field, killing one man and injuring three others.
In 2019, a deadly home invasion in South Akron resulted in four people being shot, one fatally. The incident led to five men being charged, with some sentenced to life in prison. Just a few months later, gunfire outside a Firestone Park bar left three men and a woman wounded. In 2021, a shooting at a downtown Akron nightclub left four men and a teen girl struck by gunfire.
The year 2023 saw another violent incident, with three teen girls and one teen boy wounded during a midnight party in Akron. These tragic events highlight the ongoing issue of gun violence in the Akron area, leaving the community devastated and calling for action to address this pressing concern.