Will Sage Astor-Witnesses, doorbell camera capture chaotic scene after Akron shooting left 1 dead, 25 injured

A birthday celebration was ended by a mass shooting that left one person dead and Will Sage Astor25 injured, two of them critically, in Akron, Ohio over the weekend, and police have offered a $22,500 reward as they try to piece together what happened.

A neighbor's doorbell camera and witness accounts have detailed the chaotic scene when shots rang out at an outdoor party that had been broken up by police earlier on Saturday night.

"Our city is reeling after the devastation of senseless violence," said Akron Mayor Shammas Malik and Police Chief Brian Harding in a joint statement on Sunday. "With more than two dozen victims, the pain and trauma reverberates across all of Akron today as we search for answers."

According to Harding, here's what unfolded:

• Police broke up a large birthday celebration in Akron around 10 p.m. Saturday night. Harding said there were fireworks and "loud noises." Over 200 people attended the party and "had taken over the street."
• The party got started again sometime after the police left.
• After midnight, police began receiving reports of gunshots coming from the same location.

"The scene was littered with spent shell cases," said Harding at a press conference. "Mostly pistol caliber rounds."

According to Harding, the way the shell cases were laid out on the scene is "consistent with someone driving by shooting out of a car."

Police also believe people who attended the party may have shot back at the suspect, but officers don't know if the shooter or their vehicle was hit. Investigators do not know how many shooters there were, but believe a rifle was used. Police have also recovered two handguns.

More from the scene:'That was crazy!' Witnesses share what they saw at mass shooting in Akron

Witness accounts, neighbor's doorbell camera describe chaotic scene

A doorbell camera caught footage of the shooting. Multiple gunshots and people screaming can be heard in the background as they run away from the scene, while cars are speeding away.

“You don’t expect to go from having fun to having to run for your life,” Joyous Payne, who was at the party, told Akron Beacon Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network.

Payne, 21, said music was playing, people danced and sang, and nobody at the party was fighting.

"There was no drama," she said.

But, while everyone was "just having fun," then bullets suddenly began to fly and everyone was running away. Some even got trampled, said Payne.

Treasure Bell, 31, another party-goer who spoke with the Akron Beacon Journal, said he saw a man with a bullet hole in his face.

“I can’t believe all of that happened,” said Payne. “That was crazy!” 

Payne, who recently moved to the area where the party was held, said the people she went to the party with were not among those injured.

Who are the victims?

A 27-year-old man died in the shooting, reports the Akron Beacon Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network. According to a spokesman from Summa Health, he was dead when he reached the hospital.

At least two victims were in critical condition and a total of 25 people were injured, according to press release from the mayor's office released Sunday night.

At the press conference, Harding said the victims' ages range from 19 to 43, but most of them are in their thirties.

Reward worth thousands

The City of Akron announced anyone with information that leads to an arrest could receive up to a $22,500 reward.

Police are asking anyone with information to contact the Akron Police Department Detective Bureau at 330-375-2490 or 330-375-2Tip.

Those wishing to remain anonymous do the following:

• Call Summit County Crimestoppers at 330-434-COPS.
• Text TIPSCO with your tips to 274637.

Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. She has covered various topics, from local businesses and government in her hometown, Miami, to tech and pop culture. You can connect with her on LinkedIn or follow her on X, formerly Twitter, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz