Shooting in Akron, Ohio: Police search for suspect after one dead and 24 injured in mass shooting

CNN
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Police are searching for a suspect in connection with the mass shooting at a birthday party in Akron, Ohio, that left a 27-year-old man dead and 24 others injured, and are raising concerns about the possibility of retaliatory attacks.

According to a statement from the city’s mayor and police chief, officers responded to 911 calls shortly after midnight Sunday reporting gunshots and multiple victims struck in a residential area.

The shooting occurred during a “big birthday party” attended by more than 200 people earlier in the evening, Akron Police Chief Brian Harding said in a press conference on Sunday evening.

“All cases of gun violence are tragedies, but here the sheer number of victims is shocking and deeply concerning,” Akron Mayor Shammas Malik said at the press conference.

The shooting is the latest case of a celebration in the United States that ended in gunfire. This year alone, gunfire has brought a gruesome end to sporting events, family reunions, religious celebrations, parties and a school holiday for high school students.

And it’s one of more than 192 mass shootings in the U.S. this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. One of those incidents, in which four or more people were injured (not counting the shooter), came just hours after the Ohio shooting, when a bar brawl in Pennsylvania ended with two dead and seven injured, police in Allegheny County said.

After the shooting in Akron, authorities found a “strewn” of bullet casings at the crime scene that stretched across an entire city block, the police chief said.

“Given the arrangement of the shell casings, it appears consistent with someone firing from their car as they drove by,” Harding said. “We believe some individuals at the party may have returned fire, as there is physical evidence at the scene.”

At least two handguns were recovered at the scene, but authorities found cartridge cases from several different types of firearms, Harding said.

Authorities do not know whether the shooter or the vehicle was hit by gunfire and cannot yet provide a description of the suspect or the vehicle, the police chief said.

Investigators are also concerned about possible retaliation and are trying to prevent further violence, Harding said.

Officials from several agencies are offering a total reward of $22,500 for information leading to the identification and arrest of a suspect, Malik said in a post Sunday. People can share information anonymously, officials said.

“We urge the community to come forward,” Harding said.

“We believe there are people in the community tonight who saw or know something and we are asking them to come forward,” he said. “We believe there were dozens of people at the party at the time of the shooting and possibly over 100 people witnessed the incident.”

“Even a small detail can help us solve this case and locate the suspect or suspects involved,” the police chief added.

In total, there were 25 gunshot victims, including the person killed, police confirmed.

At least two people were in critical condition Sunday evening, Harding said. Some of the victims were treated in hospital and released.

Authorities have not released the identities of the man killed or the injured victims, but Harding said their ages ranged from 19 to 43, with most in their 30s.

“We know there is an epidemic of gun violence in this country and that this is the latest in a long line of incidents we have seen across the country,” Malik said. “The City of Akron and our Akron Police Department remain committed to combating all violence, especially gun violence.”

“I want to make it very clear that everyone involved in last night’s shooting will be held accountable to the fullest extent possible under the law,” he said, also warning that anyone who uses retaliatory violence will be held accountable.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

CNN’s Leah Thomeer and Paradise Afshar contributed to this report.