A quiet Canton block turned into a crime scene early Sunday when a gunman opened fire into a downstairs apartment, leaving a 51-year-old man in critical condition at Aultman Hospital. Police identified the victim as Richard J. Staats, who was hit in the head after shots were fired from outside through a window. Neighbors and a city councilman said the gunfire sounded like a sudden barrage that jolted the area awake.
According to News 5 Cleveland, Canton police say Staats was inside his apartment when someone outside fired into the unit and struck him. Investigators described a possible suspect as a man wearing a white shirt and brown pants and said no one had been arrested as of Monday morning. The department is asking anyone with information to contact the Canton Police Detective Bureau at (330) 489-3144 or the Canton Communications Center at (330) 649-5800, or to send anonymous tips via Tip411 or Stark County Crime Stoppers.
Police report and 911 calls
A police report reviewed by local reporters states officers found Staats in a bedroom with a 30-year-old woman who told them she had called 911. A pellet gun and the victim’s phone were found nearby. As reported by The Repository, police also released two 911 calls placed about the shooting. The report lists the incident in the 3100 block of Tuscarawas Street W.
Neighbors heard a barrage of gunfire
Patty Davis, who lives above the apartment, told reporters she "heard two pops" followed by "six big ones" and immediately crouched down in her bed, afraid the rounds might come through the floor. Canton Councilman Jason Scaglione said he called 911 around 4:30 a.m. after being shaken awake by what he believed were eight gunshots. He later told reporters he has fielded repeated complaints about suspected drug activity at the building. Those accounts were documented by News 5 Cleveland.
Investigation ongoing
The Canton Police Department says the shooting remains under active investigation, with detectives reviewing 911 recordings and other evidence as they work to track down a suspect. Neighbors say they have been left rattled by the violence and are urging authorities to move quickly to keep the situation from escalating further.
We will update this story as officials release more details or make arrests.
