A 20-year-old man will spend at least the next 11 years behind bars for fatally shooting an Akron man last year.
RELATED: 37-year-old man shot, killed on Everton Drive in Akron
According to the Summit County Prosecutor's Office, Isaiah McKinney shot 37-year-old Gregory Dykes Jr. in the face outside the victim's apartment in April 2024 during an argument. After the shooting, McKinney ran from the scene.
McKinney was tied to the homicide through surveillance footage and witness testimony. He pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and felonious assault earlier this year, the prosecutor's office said.
In addition to spending at least 11 years in prison, McKinney was designated as a violent offender, which means that when he is released from prison, he will need to register in the Violent Offender Database for a decade. His sentencing was subject to the Reagan-Tokes law, according to court records, so the amount of time he spends in prison could be based upon his behavior behind bars.
"McKinney made the choice to fatally shoot Gregory Dykes Jr., an act that no argument could ever justify. While nothing can bring Gregory back, I hope this sentence brings some measure of closure to his family,” said Prosecutor Elliot Kolkovich. “I’m committed to continuing to work to hold violent offenders accountable and end gun violence in our communities.”
What is the Reagan-Tokes law?
Enacted in 2019, the law was designed to protect the public with a carrot-and-stick approach to incarceration. It gave prison administrators exclusive powers to add time for people who misbehave behind bars, or to recommend early release for those who follow the rules.
The sentencing law covers people convicted of first- and second-degree felonies that don’t carry life sentences, including rape, aggravated robbery and assault. It also applies to nonviolent crimes like drug possession and trafficking or robberies that don’t involve weapons or physical harm.
READ MORE:
- How Ohio’s Reagan Tokes Law keeps people in prison longer
- All Stick, No Carrot: Ohio’s Reagan Tokes Law Acts as a ‘One-Way Ratchet’ for Prison Time
