One moment, Razeil Robinson was sitting at a picnic table in Akron, minding his own business. The next moment, he became the victim of a callous crime that police said was random.
He was shot to death, leaving his family heartbroken and wondering: Who could do something like this?
Police believe they know the answer.
Timothy Whitthorne, 33, has been arrested for the shooting death of Robinson, who was 27 years old.
On Sept. 25, Robinson was shot multiple times in the 1000 block of Rosemary Boulevard, police said. His family told News 5 that he was sitting at a picnic table when he was shot.
In September, News 5 spoke with Robinson's mother, who said just after midnight, she heard gunshots and called 911. She knew Robinson had left home earlier and got worried.
Several hours later, another 911 call came in from a worker at SMB International on Rosemary Boulevard. The caller told authorities there was someone dead on the property.
Officers responded to the area around 7 a.m. and found Robinson, who was pronounced dead on the scene by EMS, police said.
Robinson's mother told News 5 that her son often walked over to the business to sit at a picnic table to talk to workers and smoke cigarettes.
A warrant was issued for Whitthorne on Oct. 6 for murder, felonious assault and having weapons while under disability, the U.S. Marshals said.
Whitthorne was arrested Tuesday in the 12300 block of Valley Lane in Garfield Heights. A firearm was recovered from the home as well, the U.S. Marshals said.
Robinson's grandmother, Toni Beasley, said news of the arrest was bittersweet. She was relieved that a suspect was in custody, but she also continues to feel emptiness in her heart.
"I thank God he was caught so he could not hurt anyone else," Beasley said. "I can't talk to my grandson. He'll never get to come by. When I want to talk to him, I got to go to the cemetery now."
Akron Mayor Shammas Malik said his heart goes out to Robinson's family.
"It sounds like an absolutely horrible case, again where there isn't even any clear motive, and so, I'm glad that somebody can be held accountable, but that's obviously not going to bring him back," Malik said.
Lt. Michael Murphy said video surveillance in the neighborhood captured a distinctive piece of clothing that the killer was wearing, which led to the identification of the suspected killer. Whitthorne could be a suspect in another crime, Murphy added.
"There's another jurisdiction that may have been investigating this individual for another crime and the clothing description was very similar, and so, that's how we were able to piece together some of this information," Murphy said.
U.S. Marshal Pete Elliot said Whitthorne was taken into custody without further incident
“Not only is another murder suspect taken off the streets and out of the community, a firearm which can continue to do harm to innocent community members is also safe in police custody," Elliott said.
