Nearly a year after a stray bullet cut down a 25-year-old bystander in Akron's Highland Square, the man who fired that shot has pleaded guilty. Emahni Thomas, 24, admitted to involuntary manslaughter with a firearm specification in connection with the death of Timothy Hutchinson, resolving a case that began with a chaotic pre-dawn shootout on West Market Street.
According to FOX 8 Cleveland WJW, Thomas had been facing reckless homicide and other charges before the plea deal, and he is now scheduled to be sentenced on October 2, 2026. The station reports that police said Hutchinson was struck unintentionally during a shootout between two suspects, with Thomas allegedly shooting at someone else before hitting Hutchinson as he returned fire. The shooting was reported at about 12:30 a.m. on Sunday, October 5, 2025, in the 800 block of West Market Street.
Police detectives determined that the other man involved, 24-year-old Deshawn Stafford, initiated the gunfight by firing at Thomas first, prompting Thomas to return fire, according to WKYC. Stafford was arrested in October 2025 on murder, felonious-assault, weapons-under-disability, drug-trafficking, drug-possession, and drug-paraphernalia charges after police seized bulk narcotics at his residence, and he continues to face murder charges in Summit County Common Pleas Court.
A Co-Defendant With a Troubled Past
Stafford's criminal history predates the Highland Square shooting. He had previously served an 18-month prison sentence after being convicted of assault in the June 2022 beating death of 17-year-old Ethan Liming outside Akron's I PROMISE School, as reported by the Washington Times.
Police reporting showed that Thomas admitted to investigators he threw away the handgun used in the shooting, per the same WKYC account. He was already held in Summit County jail on unrelated charges of aggravated robbery and weapons under disability when homicide charges were signed against him in October 2025.
Remembering Timothy Hutchinson
Hutchinson, a Wooster native, graduated from the University of Akron in 2025 with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and worked for Daisy Dairy Products, according to Roberts Funeral Home. He was meeting up with people in the bar district when he suffered a gunshot wound. Loved ones and local residents gathered in Highland Square.
Thomas faced charges in Summit County Common Pleas Court. Thomas was scheduled for arraignment in Summit County Common Pleas Court, the outlet's report indicates.
Highland Square's Ongoing Safety Fight
Akron officials have pursued safety measures along West Market Street. In April 2026, city officials placed physical barriers blocking on-street parking in front of Highland Square bars and took steps to control parking, as uncontrolled parking-lot gatherings can escalate into dangerous situations, per WKYC coverage detailed in Hoodline's earlier report, shops push safety crackdown.
Akron City Council considered the creation of the Highland Square Special Improvement District, with a proposed assessment to fund trained nighttime patrols, according to Signal Akron. Business owners in the nightlife district supported the proposal, while organizers sought the required buy-in.
The neighborhood has also been the focus of stepped-up security measures, WKYC reported. Hutchinson was pronounced dead at Cleveland Clinic Akron General.
Thomas's guilty plea in Hutchinson's death leaves sentencing still to come, but the case against Stafford remains active in Summit County Common Pleas Court. Thomas is set to be sentenced October 2, 2026, while Highland Square's broader security overhaul continues to unfold against a backdrop of recurring gunfire on the same commercial strip.
