AKRON, Ohio — Over the weekend, gunfire erupted outside the North Hill Gameday Grille, which is just one of several recent incidents that have prompted fear in the community.
The sports bar where Saturday's shooting occurred sits directly outside of resident John Barnes' home.
"You could just see everybody running out of the bar, into their cars cars, peeling off, just scared as hell," Barnes said.
The owner of the bar, 70-year-old Dean Kerkesner, survived a gunshot wound to the abdomen.
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Barnes feels that it was lucky no one else in the neighborhood was hurt from the hail of gunfire.
"I'm right behind this place. If they could have came outside, starting shooting the bullets, they could have hit the house, went through a window," Barnes said.
In late April, two 14-year-old boys were injured when they were shot on the front porch of a home.
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And a few days later, three more people were shot in the neighborhood, all of whom survived.
"It's just unfortunate that we have to resolve our disputes these days with gunfire," Councilman Phil Lombardo said.
Lombardo, who represents the North Hill neighborhood, said there are no easy solutions, but he is pushing for education to curb the violence.
"More education form maybe throughout the city on billboards that this is not the route to go with gun violence," Lombardo said.
North Hill residents also want people to speak up with any information they may have on crimes. In four recent shootings, no one has been charged.
In the case of the two teen boys shot, another 14-year-old boy was arrested.
"And you got 14-year-old kids with guns, you know, where'd they get the guns in the first place," Barnes said.
Barnes said an increase in police presence could help, but they cannot be everywhere at once. For now, Barnes calls for calm in North Hill.
"It's just not the same neighborhood it used to be," Barnes.
