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4 days ago
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'We are frustrated': APD still investigating June 2024 mass shooting that killed 1, hurt 28
Almost exactly one year ago, on June 2, an unknown suspect opened fire on an East Akron birthday celebration, killing LaTeris Cook and wounding dozens of other people. While the Akron Police Department has poured thousands of hours into an investigation, no arrests have been made in connection with the mass shooting. Here are the latest updates on the mass shooting, including what problems detectives have run into while trying to identify the shooter. Police responded to 911 calls shortly after midnight after reports of gunshots fired at a large gathering at Kelly and Eighth avenues. About two hours before the shooting, Akron officers were sent to the party to disperse the crowd of more than 200 people. Some people left, but others came back around midnight shortly before the shooting. When police returned to the scene, many people were still there, some of whom had been shot and needed to be transported to local hospitals. Dozens of shell casings and two guns were found on Kelly Avenue between Seventh and Eighth avenues. A vehicle, later identified as a white SUV with dark-tinted windows, arrived at the party and the driver opened fire at people there, police later determined. Partygoers fired back at the vehicle, which police believed sped down Kelly Avenue after the shooting. After nearly a year of investigation, the case has stagnated with no arrests, said the lead detective on the case, Akron Police Department's Edward Hornacek. Investigators spent between 2,500 and 3,000 hours on the case. They repeatedly spoke to 28 of the victims, 19 subjects, 26 witnesses, issued two dozen search warrants and reviewed the 10 911 calls, cell phones and cell phone footage, Hornacek explained. Much of that footage is pixelated, grainy or taken too far from the shooting, making it hard to identify individuals and vehicles, he said. FLOCK cameras, which are used to identify vehicles throughout the city by running license plates, identified 59 vehicles that were at the party, but Hornacek said there were likely many more there. Police were also unable to identify the suspect vehicles, a Durango-like white SUV and a second unknown vehicle. They 'extensively investigated' nine possible suspects and narrowed that down to seven, Hornacek said, but APD has been unable to pinpoint a shooter. 'We need that one piece of evidence,' he said. 'We have to have evidence to arrest someone. We can't just have an anonymous tip. We need hard evidence like a video or witness testimony.' Hornacek was placed on special duty to review all evidence and re-interview everyone in the case. APD also worked with more than 10 other law enforcement entities ranging from prosecutors' offices to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, said David Laughlin, Akron deputy police chief. Well over 100 people worked on the case in the last year across these agencies, Laughlin explained. 'Everyone pulls together to help each other out,' he said. Videos and new witness testimony would help, Hornacek and Laughlin said. There were a lot of cell phones at the party that captured aspects of the shooting. That 'one piece of evidence' could be a video in someone's phone. It could identify one or more suspects or show a license plate. Both Hornacek and Laughlin said just about everyone has cooperated with the investigation, but no one witnessed the shooting. 'They were dancing and not facing where the shooting came from, so that's why people didn't witness it,' Hornacek explained. 'There were fireworks going off earlier in the night, so some people thought it was fireworks.' But one year later, the investigation has slowed. 'We are frustrated, just like the community,' Laughlin said. 'Picture yourself in a party, engaged with the people there. There's no expectation of gunfire. You are just worried about saving yourself. I don't think they are intentionally not sharing information.' Investigators are still open to every avenue of investigation, including the possibilities that the shooting was gang-related or was connected to a fight at the party. Laughlin and Hornacek encouraged anyone with information or videos to send tips anonymously to APD. If they aren't comfortable doing that, they should find someone they trust who can forward that information. 'We want justice for the family (of Cook). We want justice for this community,' Laughlin said. Days after the shooting, the city of Akron, the Akron Community Foundation (ACF) and Victim Assistance Program (VAP) partnered to create the Gun Violence Response Fund (GVRF), a fund originally started to assist victims of the Kelly Avenue mass shooting. The fund has since been expanded to support basic life expenses of any Akron resident victimized by gun violence. ACF was able to raise $315,000 to support the mass shooting victims during their fundraising efforts last year. This included $150,000 from the city of Akron and $25,000 each from the United Way of Summit and Medina County and ACF. To date, $165,000 of these funds have been distributed to VAP to help cover victims' costs. 'Our community is suffering': Victim Assistance offers help after Akron mass shooting "The evolution of this fund was a textbook example of what could happen when government, philanthropy, nonprofits and the community come together for a specific purpose," said John Garofalo, vice president of Community Investments for ACF. Thirty-six individuals have received assistance from the GVRF, 23 of whom were direct victims of the Kelly Avenue mass shooting, Rebecca Cool, VAP's director of services, said. So far, VAP has distributed $114,000 to gun violence victims. The majority of the funds have been used to support transportation needs like car payments that allow gun violence victims to continue going to work or attend important medical or behavioral health appointments. Other uses for these funds include housing needs — including rent and mortgage payments — and utility payments. This financial assistance is paid directly to vendors, meaning no cash assistance is provided directly to the victim. "These funds are approved as a last resort, meaning that there is no other local resource that exists, or the victim is eligible for, to meet that need," Cool said. The funds are intended for immediate support. While 14 of the June 2 mass shooting victims applied for victim compensation assistance through the Ohio Attorney General's Office, they were able to utilize the GVRF for any financial needs while waiting for these additional funds. Tracy Carter, Summa Health's system director of government affairs and health policy and co-chair of the Gun Violence Response Fund Advisory Committee, also praised the community's collaborative spirit. "We are blessed to live and work in a community where people don't mind pulling their resources together to help others in need," Carter said. To donate to the fund, visit Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@ or on Twitter @athompsonABJ. Bryce Buyakie covers courts and public safety for the Beacon Journal. He can be reached by email at bbuyakie@ or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @bryce_buyakie. This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron mass shooting still under investigation a year later
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Morrow County Sheriff remembers slain deputy Daniel Sherrer: 'He will be missed'
Morrow County Sheriff John Hinton identified Daniel Weston Sherrer, 31, as the deputy killed in a Memorial Day weekend shooting. During a press conference May 27, the day after the shooting, Hinton said Sherrer was a "godsend" for the office, the community and the county. "The guy was never in a bad mood, (he) always had a smile on his face. He would go out his way to see how your day was and crack a joke and (he) was just a great guy. He will be missed," Hinton said. Sherrer joined the sheriff's office in May 2021. Sherrer is survived by his parents and "numerous loved ones", according to Hinton. Funeral arrangements for Sherrer will be announced when they are finalized. Sherrer was responding to a domestic violence situation at a home on the 100 block of County Road 26 in Marengo on the evening of May 26 when an "officer involved shooting" occurred and a suspect fired at Sherrer, according to the Morrow County Sheriff's Office. Sherrer was struck by gunfire and transported to a local hospital, where he died. The suspect was also shot and transported to a local hospital in serious condition, according to the Morrow County Sheriff's Office. Hinton refused to identify the suspect at Tuesday's press conference, saying the suspect did not deserve to have their name spoken by him. "You will never hear his name come from my lips," Hinton said. The Delaware County Sheriff's Office and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation are investigating the shooting. Sherrer's death is the second time an Ohio law enforcement officer has been killed in the line of duty in 2025. Rodney Hinton Jr., 38, is accused of intentionally ramming his car into Hamilton County Sheriff's Deputy Larry Henderson, killing him while he worked traffic duty at a University of Cincinnati graduation on May 2, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported. The ramming occurred the same day that Hinton and other family members met with Cincinnati police and watched bodycam footage of Hinton's 18-year-old son, Ryan, being fatally shot by an officer on May 1. Hinton's lawyer, Clyde Bennett II, said his client was not in his right mind after watching the video and his actions were ""classic, mental illness, criminal conduct." A death penalty trial for Hinton is set to begin on Jan. 12, 2026. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost issued a statement on Sherrer's death Tuesday morning, saying his heart "was torn by the loss of yet another Ohio law enforcement officer, who paid the ultimate sacrifice while protecting his community." "We are forever indebted to those who lay down their lives for others. I share in the anguish experienced by so many in this tight-knit community – my prayers are with Deputy Sherrer's family, the Morrow County Sheriff's Office and all who wear the badge," Yost said in the statement. "My thanks to the Delaware County Sheriff's Office for stepping up to lead the investigation at a time of crushing grief.' This story is ongoing and will be updated. Breaking and Trending News Reporter Nathan Hart can be reached at NHart@ and at @NathanRHart on X and at on Bluesky. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio sheriff's deputy Daniel Sherrer killed on Memorial Day
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Prosecutors: Investigation into fatal shooting of Jazmir Tucker enters legal review
Mahoning County prosecutors are now reviewing the fatal police shooting of 15-year-old Jazmir Tucker after the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation completed its investigation on March 25. Akron and Summit County prosecutors' offices announced the update on May 23 in a news release issued nearly six months after Akron police officer Davon Fields shot and killed Jazmir outside Miller South School on Thanksgiving. Although BCI completed its investigation, prosecutors explained that the inquiry will not be publicly available until any potential legal proceedings have concluded. The Summit County Prosecutor's Office adopted a policy in 2020 to refer police shootings to the Ohio Attorney General's Office "to ensure fairness and to avoid the appearance of any potential conflicts of interest between local prosecutors and law enforcement officers who often work together," the news release read. The Attorney General's Office can then send the case to another county prosecutor's office for review. Fields and another officer heard gunfire near Miller South School for Visual and Performing Arts after 11 p.m. on Nov. 28, 2024. When they investigated, they spotted Jazmir and ran after him, according to body camera footage. Fields fatally shot Jazmir twice in the back and once in the arm with his rifle. Akron police officers waited roughly 10 minutes before providing medical aid to Jazmir, who was unresponsive. When they searched him, they found a firearm in his zipped-up coat pocket. Officers said shell casings found at the scene matched Jazmir's gun. Jazmir was taken to a local hospital, where he later died from his wounds. Fields was placed on paid administrative leave immediately after the shooting, in line with department policy. The investigation was turned over to BCI, which completed its inquiry on March 25. From there, the Ohio Attorney General's Office turned the case over to the Mahoning County Prosecutor's Office for legal review. Bryce Buyakie covers courts and public safety for the Beacon Journal. He can be reached by email at bbuyakie@ or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @bryce_buyakie. This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Investigation into fatal shooting of Jazmir Tucker enters legal review
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
Police identify man killed by officer in northeast Columbus
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Police have identified a man who was killed on Monday by an officer after a domestic violence call in northeast Columbus. Jerry D. Smith, 37, was shot and killed after he reportedly fired at officers who were responding to a domestic violence call on Hampton Woods Court, police said. The two officers who were involved were 25- and 28-year veterans of the Columbus Division of Police. Police did not release the officers' names, citing Marsy's Law. A hurried change to a law meant for crime victims now shields the identities of officers who kill According to Columbus police, officers responded to the Easton Ridge Apartments on Hampton Woods Court in the Strawberry Farms neighborhood at approximately 9:40 p.m. When officers arrived at around 10 p.m. they were reportedly shot at while a woman was being held hostage. SWAT and hostage negotiators were notified and responded to the scene. Columbus Division of Police Sgt. Joe Albert said over the next hour he was able to make contact with Smith over the phone and with the assistance of negotiators attempted to deescalate the incident. The suspect continued to fire shots at SWAT officers on multiple occasions. 'He means it': Neighbor called 911 before Columbus police kill suspect At 11:46 p.m., Smith reportedly opened the door while holding the woman and raised a gun, at which time officers shot and injured him. He was pronounced dead at 11:55 p.m. The woman was able to escape and run towards safety. No officers were injured and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is investigating the shooting. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
Kenton police ask BCI to investigate shooting at Ralphie's
May 21—KENTON — An officer-involved shooting at the Ralphie's Sports Eatery in Kenton is under investigation by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. The shooting occurred in the parking lot outside the sports bar around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday as the Kenton Police Department responded to a report of a stolen black Honda Accord from Lima, according to a news release from Kenton Police Chief Dennis Musser. Jaden Shannon, 18, fled in the stolen vehicle and led officers on a pursuit before crashing into a residence near West North Street and North Detroit Street in Kenton, according to the release. The Dayton teenager then fled on foot and was apprehended in the 100 block of North Market Street, according to the release. Charges are pending against Shannon for assault on a police officer, fleeing and eluding, obstructing official business and receiving or possession of stolen property, Musser said. The release did not identify the officer involved in the shooting, did not specify who exchanged gunfire and did not mention any injuries to the suspect or officer. In the release, Musser said the police department will not release further information about the shooting while it is under investigation. The chief requested assistance from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, a division of the Attorney General's Office often called upon by law enforcement agencies to investigate shootings involving law enforcement officers. The Hardin County Sheriff's Office, Kenton Fire Department and Route 31 Towing assisted police with the call. Kenton police engaged in a second vehicle pursuit just after 10 p.m. Tuesday. The driver, identified as 21-year-old Malachi Freeman, of Kenton, fled police as they tried to initiate a reckless driving traffic stop in the 900 block of E. Columbus Street, according to a release from the Kenton Police Department. Freeman struck a pole and crashed into a field near the intersection of Hardin County Road 175 and state Route 53, then fled on foot before he was taken into custody west of state Route 53, according to the release. Musser said charges are pending against Freeman for operating a vehicle under intoxication, felony fleeing and eluding and driving under a previous OVI suspension. Deputies from the Hardin County Sheriff's Office and BKP assisted at the scene. Featured Local Savings
