Violent deaths in Akron nearing record pace

While 2020 was the deadliest year in Akron, when police reported 50 murders to top the previous record of 48 set in 1974, this year is on track to be close, with more than 30 deaths on record through the end of July and nearly half a year to go.

This year's count in the city thus far is just under the 33 murders reported in all of 2019 and 32 in 2018. Last year, after suffering an average of one murder per week through mid-October, a nearly three-month gap in killings kept the number of deaths down to 42.

Not all violent deaths are classified as murder. Homicides are deaths that include instances where someone acts in self-defense, or when the perpetrator is charged with a lesser crime, such as manslaughter. Some cases remain under investigation, such as the officer-involved shootings that killed Lawrence Rodgers on Feb. 22 and Jayland Walker on June 27.

Almost all of this year's deaths have involved guns. The following is a list of homicides reported in and directly adjacent to the city, according to the Summit County Medical Examiner's Office.

January

• Akron's first murder was Tyrique Lee Shields, 24, from Northwest Akron. He was shot in the chest Jan. 16 at a Kling Street address in University Park. The case remains under investigation.

• Donovan A. Clay, 21, of East Akron, was shot in the chest Jan. 19 in the 900 block of Winans Avenue in East Akron. The case remains under investigation.

• Jordyn Mae Wilson, 16 months, died of multiple blunt force injuries and possible smothering Jan. 27 at a home in the 400 block of Edgewood Avenue in Sherbondy Hill. Latrell Wilson, 38, is pending trial on charges of murder, involuntary manslaughter and endangering children.

• Jamier N. Harris, 26, of Kenmore, was shot at his 12th Street home Jan. 29 and died the next day. Leslie Lopez, 25, of Williston outside Toledo, has been charged with aggravated murder, murder, felonious assault and tampering with evidence.

• Heidi R. Moon, 43, of Kenmore, was shot in the neck Jan. 31 at her home. Police said she was shot by her ex-boyfriend, Nicholas Mima, 39, of Akron, who shot himself and later died.

February

• Michial Lee Teufel II, 29, of East Akron, was shot in the abdomen Feb. 1 in the 500 Block of Morgan Avenue in South Akron. Nobody has been charged and further information was not available.

• Jeremy J. Butcher, 29, of Kenmore, was shot in the head in a car Feb. 10, along with another man who was wounded, in the 1000 block of Yukon Avenue in West Akron. The other victim survived. Keith A. Soto, 37, of Euclid, is charged with aggravated murder, murder, felonious assault, aggravated robbery, tampering with evidence and having weapons under disability.

• Raymond Jones Jr., 38, was shot in the torso Feb. 22 at his home in the 500 block of Ritchie Avenue in West Akron. Police said he was shot by Lawrence Rodgers, 21, of Firestone Park, during a standoff.

• Lawrence Rodgers, 21, of Firestone Park, was shot in the torso Feb. 22 by police during the incident that resulted in Raymond Jones Jr.'s death. The police shooting remains under investigation.

March

There were no murders recorded in the month of March, however one homicide was reported: Kismet Sengdan, 10, of North Hill, was shot in the head in an apparent accident March 24 in the 100 block of Dayton Place.

April

• Shawn C. Knox Jr., 27, of Madison, Wisconsin, was shot multiple times April 2 in the 500 block of LaFollette Street in South Akron. Christopher Bailey, 37, is charged with murder, felonious assault, having weapons under disability and tampering with evidence.

• Tina Case, 50, of Kenmore, died of multiple gunshot wounds following an ambush-style shooting April 7 at her home in the 600 block of Koerber Avenue. The case remains under investigation.

• Larry Eugene Carmichael, 25, of Sherbondy Hill, was shot in the head April 15 outside a nightclub on South Main Street in Summit Lake. The case remains under investigation.

• Teyaurra L. Harris, 21, of Summit Lake, was shot in the head April 14 in the 1400 block of Rockaway Street in Summit Lake. She died April 18. Police say three men drove up and shot at Harris and a group of people on the street. Two men, Zyeir M. Saunders, 21, of West Akron, and Jaunte Smith, 18, of North Hill, are charged with murder, felonious assault and other felonies. Jaeviaire Small, 20, of West Akron, is charged with felonious assault, discharging a firearm near a habitation, having weapons under disability, and carrying a concealed weapon.

May

• Jermaine Woodall, 22, of West Akron, was shot in the head May 7 while mowing the lawn at his home in the 1100 block of Peerless Avenue. The case remains under investigation.

• Ronald L. Lewis, 36, of East Akron, was found with a gunshot wound in the pelvis May 12 in the 800 block of McKinley Avenue in East Akron. The case remains under investigation.

• Latajah Leatherwood, 28, of Ellett, was shot in the head May 17 in the 900 block of East Avenue in Sherbondy Hill. She had been a passenger in a vehicle and was shot by someone driving in another vehicle. The case remains under investigation.

• Derrick D. Fischer, 32, of East Akron, was shot in the head, neck and back May 24 at his home in the 1000 block of Cole Avenue. The case remains under investigation.

• Jerry Jerome Davis III, 15, of Sherbondy Hill, was shot in the torso May 26 at his home in the 1000 block of Biruta Street. D'Lawrence Scott, 19, of Barberton, is charged with murder, felonious assault, discharging a firearm near a habitation, and domestic violence. His father, Lawrence Scott, 56, of Barberton, is charged with felony obstructing justice.

June

• Christopher Johnson, 30, of North Hill, was shot in the chest during a vigil June 1 in the 800 block of Wall Street. Two other people were wounded. The case remains under investigation.

• Ethan Liming, 17, a Firestone High School senior, died after a fight June 2 near the basketball courts of the I Promise School on West Market Street in Akron. While three young men were initially charged with murder in the case, a Summit County grand jury indicted the suspects on lesser charges of involuntary manslaughter and misdemeanor assault. Deshawn Stafford Jr., 20, and his brother Tyler Stafford, 19, have been charged with felonies; Donovon Jones, their cousin, has been charged with misdemeanors.

• Michael Hughes, 38, of West Akron, was shot in the chest June 19 in the 600 block of North Howard Street in North Hill. The case remains under investigation.

• Atavia Renee Lynn Robinson, 20, of East Akron, was shot in the head June 26 outside a movie theater in Chapel Hill. Her boyfriend was wounded in the attack. The case remains under investigation.

• Jayland Edward Walker, 25, was shot by eight police officers June 27 after fleeing from a traffic stop. The police shooting remains under investigation.

July

• Coy Daniel Oswalt, 36, of North Hill, died July 2 after being stabbed in the neck at his home. Aaron Roberts-Byrd, 30, of the same address, is charged with aggravated murder, murder and felonious assault.

• Chelsey Jones, 26, of Summit Lake, died from a gunshot wound to the head July 4 at her home on Summit Lake Boulevard. Police suspect the bullet was fired from across the lake. The case remains under investigation.

• De'Veal M. Smith, 30, of Kenmore, was shot multiple times July 6 outside his home in the 2200 block of Sixth Street Southwest. The case remains under investigation.

• Johnny D. Gaiter, 40, was shot at a July 8 vigil marking the birthday of his nephew Imani Tolbert, 18, who was killed in 2021. Gaiter was one of two who were killed at the vigil, including 4-year-old Journei Tolbert, who was the niece of Jayland Walker's fiancee, 27-year-old Jaymeisha Beasley. Beasley died May 28 in a traffic accident.

• Derrick Wayne Patterson, 55, of West Akron, was shot in the neck and torso July 17 outside a residence in the 900 Block of Copley Road, about a block from his home. Police said it appears he was shot by someone in a vehicle following an altercation. Anthony Fowler, 43, of Kenmore, has been charged with aggravated murder in Akron Municipal Court. His case is being presented to a Summit County Grand Jury.

• Ronald Steven Turner Jr., 23, of East Akron, was outside a residence in the 1100 block of Tarson Terrace when people in a vehicle fired multiple shots at him. The case remains under investigation.

• Uriah James, 36, of West Akron, died of a gunshot wound to his torso July 24 at his home in the 200 block of Wildwood Avenue. Dontae L. Foster, 36, has been charged with murder in Akron Municipal Court. His case is being presented to a Summit County grand jury.

• Toni M. Westover, 34, of Ellet, was shot July 25 in the 2200 block of Maryland Avenue in Kenmore. The case remains under investigation.

• Chyna Shepard, 21, was shot inside a bar following an argument July 25 in the 600 block of North Howard Street. Her alleged assailant, a woman, was shot by police and survived. The woman remained hospitalized Friday. Police have not released her name.

August

• An unnamed man, 29, was shot Aug. 3 in the 400 block of Chittenden Street. Police have not released the victim's name. Two suspects are being sought.

• An unnamed man, 25, was shot in the chest Aug. 4 in the front yard of a home in the 300 block of Howe Street in the city's Sherbondy Hill neighborhood. Police have not released the victim's name. The case remains under investigation.

Eric Marotta can be reached at 330-541-9433, or emarotta@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @MarottaEric.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Violent deaths in Akron nearing record count in 2022