AKRON, Ohio — A shooting at an Akron school parking lot early Monday morning left five people wounded by gunfire and at least 10 others injured by fleeing vehicles. Several of the victims were minors.
The incident occurred at approximately 3 a.m. at the Mason Community Learning Center in the Middlebury neighborhood, where more than 100 people had gathered for an impromptu party on school grounds, reports Cleveland19. The shooting and subsequent chaos resulted in multiple casualties and raised serious questions about child supervision in the city.
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Video surveillance footage captured the large crowd running for cover as gunshots erupted in the school parking lot. According to the Akron Police Department, five people sustained gunshot wounds, including at least three minors.
The shooting created immediate panic among the crowd. A nearby resident reported being awakened by the gunfire and estimated hearing more than 100 shots fired during the incident.
Multiple Casualties and Hospital Response
Beyond the five shooting victims, at least 10 additional people suffered injuries from vehicles as panicked attendees fled the scene. The chaotic evacuation resulted in people being hit or run over by cars attempting to escape the parking lot.
Area hospitals received victims with various injuries throughout the early morning hours, reports Fox8. One hospital received a car load of people, including at least one gunshot victim. Minutes later, a hospital employee called Akron police requesting additional officers because approximately 20 youth were “acting up in the waiting room.”
Another local hospital received victims and implemented lockdown procedures. Even a hospital in a neighboring county treated a victim who had been run over by a car and dropped off by a friend.
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Police recovered more than 100 shell casings from the school parking lot, indicating multiple shooters were involved in the incident. Detectives believe the shooting was confined to the parking lot area of the Mason Community Learning Center.
Detectives conducted neighborhood canvassing early Monday morning to gather additional information and search for evidence that may have been missed in the dark, including additional shell casings.
The investigation continues as authorities work to identify the shooters and determine what led to the violence at the school property.
Community and Official Response
Akron Police Department spokesperson Lt. Michael Murphy addressed the incident by calling on parents in the community “to have some serious conversations with our young people about decision making, large crowds, and being out past curfew,” reports Signal Akron.
Akron Mayor Shammas Malik condemned the behavior in the parking lot and other parts of the city following the shooting, calling it unacceptable.
