Hundreds had gathered for an annual street party when the night took a chaotic and horrifying turn
A shooting at a street party in Akron on Saturday night turned deadly, leaving 25 people injured by gunfire, including a 27-year-old man who is dead and two people who are in critical condition.
Akron police and fire officials and Mayor Shammas Malik held a press conference on Sunday evening. Police chief Brian Harding said the shooting appeared to be a drive-by at a birthday party at Kelly and Eighth avenues that had spilled into the street.
Around 10 p.m., police said they went to a private residence where the birthday party was occurring. About 200 revelers were present, and police asked them to disperse from the street because of motor vehicle traffic.
Between 10 p.m. and midnight, people returned to the party, say police, and a little after midnight, police said they started receiving calls about shots fired.
At the scene, police said they found two handguns and multiple types of shell casings, including casings from a rifle.
Watch city, police and fire and fire officials give their update Sunday night.
Police said there were at least 35 shell casings at the scene, which matches what a News 5 journalist on the scene just after the shooting saw.
Video captured by News 5 Photographer Mike Vielhaber shows police and 38 evidence markers on the ground.
Police said they do not know the number of shooters at this time and have not identified any suspects.
No arrests have been made.
The identity of the deceased has not been released.
A witness at the scene, one of the few willing to talk in the aftermath of the shooting, told News 5 there were hundreds of people at the party enjoying themselves before shots were fired.
"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 witness said.
Dispatchers received multiple 911 calls about numerous people being shot in the area, police said. Soon after, shooting victims started arriving at nearby hospitals.
Victims ranged in age from 19 to 43, police said.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, the hospital admitted nine patients early Sunday morning. One of those patients is in critical condition. The hospital was under a hard lockdown from just after midnight until around 3:30 a.m.
Cleveland Clinic said Sunday evening, one patient has been admitted to a regular floor following surgery, another person is out of surgery and remains in the intensive care unit in critical condition, and three were treated in the emergency room with non-life-threatening injuries and have since been released.
Summa Health said its hospital received 15 patients this morning, 13 of whom had non-life-threatening injuries. Some of those individuals have already been released from the hospital. One person remains in critical condition.
City leaders, law enforcement searching for answers
Akron’s mayor and police chief put out an urgent call for people to come forward about the deadly street party shooting.
With no suspects and few leads almost 24 hours later, city leaders made a desperate plea to the community and people who were at the party.
"There are people out there who know the person or persons involved, and I implore you to speak up,” Akron Mayor Shammas Malik said.
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