A fight inside an Akron bar late Tuesday night spilled into the parking lot and ended in gunfire, leaving one man dead and another wounded with a leg injury. The Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the man killed as 36-year-old Antonio D. Burney, who was found with multiple gunshot wounds to the chest outside Absolut Lounge in the 400 block of East South Street.
Officers and medics were called to the bar at roughly 10:39 p.m. Tuesday after reports of a shooting, according to WKYC. Police told Cleveland.com that an altercation began inside the bar before spilling into the parking lot, where multiple shots were fired. Burney was found in the lot with gunshot wounds to the chest, while a 26-year-old man was found inside the bar with a gunshot wound to his leg, the outlet reported.
Both men were taken to Summa Health Akron, a Level I trauma center, where Burney was pronounced dead. The surviving victim's injuries were described as non-life-threatening, and police say he is expected to survive, per the same Cleveland.com account. Burney's identification as the deceased victim came from the Summit County Medical Examiner, according to the report.
Suspect Detained, No Charges Announced
A 33-year-old man was detained for questioning following the shooting, though police have not said whether charges have been filed against him. Major Crimes Unit detectives and crime scene unit investigators responded to interview witnesses and collect evidence, and the investigation remains ongoing, Cleveland.com reported. It remains unclear whether prosecutors will pursue charges or how the altercation that preceded the gunfire unfolded in full.
The bar itself has drawn scrutiny from city leaders before. Akron City Council passed a resolution in February 2024 unanimously opposing liquor permit applications for Absolut Lounge before the Ohio Division of Liquor Control, according to Akron.com. The bar has also offered paper pull-tab charitable gaming benefiting the nonprofit Greenleaf Family Center, according to FindPullTabs.
Legal Options the City Could Pursue
Ohio law includes nuisance and liquor-permit procedures that may apply in certain circumstances. Under Ohio Revised Code Sections 3767.01, 3767.03, and 3767.05, municipal law directors or county prosecutors can file civil padlock proceedings against locations where alcoholic beverages are manufactured, sold, or possessed in violation of law; a court must find the alleged illegal activity proven before a location can be closed, potentially for up to a year, according to the Ohio Department of Commerce. Separately, Ohio Revised Code Section 4303.292 allows the state Division of Liquor Control to refuse permit renewals or transfers when a local legislative authority demonstrates that a premises substantially interferes with public order and safety, according to Ohio law. Whether Akron City Council will revisit either option against Absolut Lounge following this homicide is an open question.
A City Still Grappling With Gun Violence
The shooting adds to a difficult stretch for Akron, which recorded 33 homicides and 27 murders in 2024. During the first half of 2025, Akron logged 12 homicides, matching the same period in 2024, even as felonious assaults and overall calls for service ticked down slightly, per figures released by Mayor Shammas Malik and Akron police leadership and reported by Signal Akron.
Late last month, a 25-year-old man was shot and killed inside his vehicle on Ray Street in Akron, where detectives processed shell casings.
No further details on a possible motive for the fight that preceded Tuesday's shooting have been released, and police have not indicated when the investigation might conclude. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Akron Police Department Detective Bureau.
