AKRON, Ohio — Cheryl Rossbach, a nurse at MetroHealth Medical Center, was working in the early morning hours of Sept. 19, 2021, when an Akron police officer showed up at the hospital and said three sentences to her that she will never forget.
"He said, 'Your daughter was at a party. Shots were fired. She did not survive,'" Rossbach recalled. "When he said that, I let out this primeval scream. I just screamed so loud."
Maya McFetridge, 18, who had a big heart, loved making paintings for people she cared about and was known for her colorful hair, was gone— she was the victim of a shooting just a few weeks into her freshman year at the University of Akron.
"My daughter, she [was] shot in this [left] arm with one bullet. It went all the way through her body out the other arm. Nobody even knew she was shot. Everybody ran away," Rossbach said.
The indiscriminate gunfire in the early morning hours of Sept. 19 happened near Kling and Wheeler streets, not far from UA's campus.
Police said there was a large party, but when outside groups showed up, gunfire erupted, killing McFetridge and 25-year-old Alex Beasley, who was not a student at the university.
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After the double murder, security was improved on and near campus with multiple new cameras added to the surveillance network.
In 2021, a $50,000 reward was announced by the university's board of trustees.
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When asked if the reward still stands today, a UA spokesperson said she wasn't able to provide an answer and pointed out that the composition of the board has changed since the tragic event.
Rossbach keeps memories of her daughter close, including a picture of Maya on a necklace and a tattoo of blue butterflies on her right arm.
Four years later, she feels frustrated by the lack of movement in the case and wonders if police are doing enough to solve the homicides.
"If they're not gonna arrest someone, I have to be OK with that and realize that God knows. The person who did it knows," she said.
However, police said they're optimistic that the case will be solved one day.
In 2021, investigators released videos of men in white t-shirts who were at the party. Detectives received tips and have developed "persons of interest" over the years.
"We just need additional bits of information, or people to be able to come forward to place individuals on scene for the shooting," said Lt. Michael Murphy.
At times, Rossbach feels like the case is "going to be open forever." She said it's hard to hope for justice, but she'll continue to pray for it.
"It would bring some closure that she was a really important person to us."
Anyone with information is asked to call Summit County Crimestoppers at 330-434-COPS.
