AKRON, Ohio — Akron Police need the community’s help finding at least two people responsible for shooting two 15-year-old boys just before 7 p.m. on Sept. 17 near Hartford Avenue and Little Street in Akron.
“We have two 15-year-olds who have now been impacted by gun violence, and that’s something that we take very seriously here,” said Lt. Michael Murphy.
Before calls came in, Murphy said witnesses told detectives a group of teens met up to watch some people fight in a field near Lawton Street Community Center and the library.
Murphy said things escalated. One teen was shot in the leg, the other shot in the chest.
“We don’t believe that the victims were actually involved in the fight or the subjects of the fight. We believe they were in the crowd and may have been unintentionally struck,” said Murphy.
Thankfully, Murphy said both teens are expected to be OK.
Now, he said detectives are trying to find the people responsible.
“We believe that there may be at least two people that were firing shots,” said Murphy.
That’s why Murphy encourages the community to come forward because he believes more evidence could still be available.
“There may be videos out there that just show people that were around or in the crowd at the time that this happened, and some of that information could be instrumental in this investigation,” said Murphy.
In the meantime, nearby neighbor Crystal Garrett is calling for the violence to end.
“Just concerned for the boys and their parents and what they’re going through and what they have to face now,” said Garrett. “I just wish they put the guns down and go to class.”
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the Akron Police Department’s detective bureau at 330-375-2490 or Crime Stoppers at 330-434-COPS.
