Statement by Mayor Don Plusquellic - December 16, 2011

Since Sunday, December 11, 2011, there have been nine people shot in the City of Akron, resulting in six deaths.  The shootings here are not random acts of violence.  The victims appear to have been targeted for reasons still under investigation.  

I want to assure the citizens of Akron that the Akron Police Department is working tirelessly to sort through these events, capture the suspects, and solve these serious crimes.  The U.S. Marshal’s Service led Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force is working to apprehend various suspects in this investigation.  The Akron Police Department, the FBI and the Summit County Sheriff’s Department are three of numerous agencies involved in this endeavor.  All resources are being exhausted so that these homicides can be solved as quickly as possible.

I want to reassure the law-abiding citizens of Akron that they are safe, and I think it is important to repeat that these recent shootings are not random shootings of Akron citizens, but rather the victims in these cases appear to have been specifically targeted.  

I encourage Akron citizens with any information about the recent shootings to call the Akron Detective Bureau at 330-375-2490.