Gunfire ripped through Akron's Highland Square early Sunday when two men traded shots in a nearby parking lot, leaving two bystanders wounded, police said. A 26-year-old man was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition, while a 34-year-old woman suffered injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening. Officers secured the scene, and no arrests were immediately reported.
Akron Police said the shooting started around 1:23 a.m., just as officers assigned to a special detail were trying to break up a fight between two women. The gunfire came from a parking lot roughly 50 yards away, according to News 5 Cleveland. Detectives with the department's Major Crimes Unit recovered about 20 shell casings and canvassed the busy nightlife area for witnesses.
Akron Police Chief Brian Harding called the shooting "troubling" and said detectives are working to identify the gunmen and hold them accountable, according to Cleveland.com. He said officers on a neighborhood security detail moved quickly to lock down the scene and help the wounded victims.
Highland Square safety efforts
The Highland Square nightlife strip has already been under a microscope since a stray-bullet homicide last October, and city leaders rolled out a slate of security upgrades earlier this spring. Officials put in concrete barriers, tightened some street parking rules, and added private security and police foot patrols as part of a Highland Square Special Improvement District effort. Those changes were aimed at cutting down on large late-night crowds and on parking-lot drinking and loitering that leaders say can fuel violence, as reported by Cleveland19.
How to help
With no arrests announced, detectives are asking anyone with information to contact the Akron Police Detective Bureau at 330-375-2490 or 330-375-2Tip, to text TIPSCO to 274637, or to submit tips through the Akron Police app or at AkronCops.org, according to Cleveland.com. Anonymous tips can also be made to Summit County Crime Stoppers at 330-434-COPS.
