Akron and residents in shock after mass shooting leaves 1 dead, 24 injured

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Akron residents and officials say they are in shock after a man was killed and two dozen people were injured in a shooting Sunday morning at a large party.

Police said they received calls shortly after midnight that shots had been fired at Kelly and 8th Avenue on the city's East Side. Officers later learned that several victims had been taken to local hospitals for treatment of gunshot wounds.

Police said a 27-year-old man was killed. His identity had not been released as of Sunday afternoon. No one was arrested.

Tara Mosley Weems, a former Ward 5 council member, said she lives across the street from where the shooting took place. Mosley Weems said about 100 people attended the event, which was an annual birthday party for a well-liked neighbor, a man in his 30s. The event draws people from Detroit, Columbus and Cleveland, she said.

She said police arrived about 30 minutes before the shooting, reminding partygoers to park.

“It was a very jubilant time, and then the chaos started,” Mosley Weems said, adding that she heard the gunshots.

She said she didn't understand why someone would terrorize the neighborhood.

“We are a very close-knit people in East Akron,” Mosley Weems told cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer in an interview. “Several of the victims belong to the young man’s own family. We are furious that this could happen. Causing this kind of carnage in the middle of a neighborhood where people were partying is unfortunate and unjustified.

U.S. Rep. Shontel Brown, a Warrensville Heights Democrat who represents Ohio's 11th District, said she was stunned by the violence.

“The pain of gun violence continues to be felt across Northeast Ohio, and it is sickening to see another mass shooting so close to home,” she said in a statement. “People can’t live like this, fearing they won’t be safe at a block party, at church, at school or at work.”

U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes, Democrat of Akron, agreed: “I am devastated to see this senseless act of violence in our Akron community. My heart and prayers go out to the victims, their families, and our entire community who are trying to make sense of this senseless act of violence.

Akron Mayor Shammas Malik and the city's police chief, Brian Harding, denounced the shooting.

“We will bring those responsible to justice, and we need the help of our community to do so,” officials said in a statement.

The city said the department is in the early stages of its investigation.

“This tragedy touches me and my family deeply,” Mosley Weems said in a statement she sent to reporters and residents. “I know firsthand the strength, resilience and spirit of our community. For us, this is not just a statistic; it is a personal loss that deeply affects everyone. Something must be done now. Not tomorrow, not next week – today.

Mosley Weems agreed with Brown, who called for stricter gun laws. Additionally, Mosley Weems said authorities should invest more in community programs to address the root causes of violence.

“By providing resources for mental health support, education and economic opportunity, we can create an environment in which individuals do not resort to violence as a solution,” she said in the release .