1 dead in US mass shooting, cops seek help from locals to track accused

The mayor and police chief of Akron called on witnesses to come forward with information about a mass shooting in the Ohio city that killed one person and wounded 24 others, some critically, just after midnight Sunday.

“This was a tragic incident which impacts our entire community”, Mayor Shammas Malik said “The sheer number of victims is shocking and disconcerting. I want to be very clear: Anyone who was involved in last night’s shooting will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law”.

The shooting killed a 27-year-old man, whose identity was not immediately released. The wounded ranged in age from 19 to 43, Police Chief Brian Harding said.

There were 25 victims, including the man who died, and at least two wounded victims remained in critical condition. Others had non-life-threatening injuries, Akron police Captain Michael Miller said Sunday.

No arrests were immediately reported and police asked anyone with information to call detectives.

Rewards totalling $22,500 for information leading to the arrest of a suspect were offered by three agencies $5,000 from Summit County Crime Stoppers, $7,500 from the US Marshal’s Service and up to $10,000 from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Akron officials said.

“We have to hold people accountable when they commit violence. That’s the only way to keep our communities safe”, Malik said.

Investigators found two handguns and more than 35 bullet shell casings at the scene of the outdoor party where the shooting took place, Harding said.

Local hospitals told emergency dispatchers soon afterward that multiple victims with gunshot wounds were arriving in their emergency departments, police said.

There was a street party in the area before the gunfire broke out and an unnamed witness at the scene said hundreds of people were enjoying themselves with everyone in white T-shirts and “women on top of vehicles dancing”, WEWS-TV reported.