The number of people injured during a mass shooting in Akron on June 2 has risen to 29, according to the city's police department. That number is fluid as officers continue to follow up on leads, a spokesperson for the department said Friday.
Previously, the police department said the shooting had killed one person and wounded 27 others.
Police suspect the incident was a drive-by shooting, which occurred just after midnight at a birthday party in East Akron on the corner of Kelly Avenue and 8th Avenue. LaTeris Cook, 27, of Akron died, and two people were critically injured. Two handguns and more than 35 shell casings were recovered from the scene.
The block party is held every year to celebrate a resident's birthday and is peaceful, according to neighbors.
The investigation is ongoing, the police department said.
In June, the department released photos of a "suspect vehicle" that is believed to have "contributed" to the mass shooting. The vehicle is a white SUV with tinted windows and is believed to have traveled southbound on Kelly Avenue right after the shooting. The department has not released any information about a suspect or suspects and is still investigating if the shooting was random or targeted.
The city and several nonprofits have set up a fund to support the victims of the mass shooting. The Victim Assistance Program of Summit County is reaching out to those injured to learn about their needs.
City leaders have called for tackling the root causes of gun violence, such as poverty and increasing community policing.
East Akron has had 80 shootings from 2014 to 2023 that killed 29 people and injured 76, according to the Gun Violence Archive. More than 50 of these shootings have occurred since 2020.
The police department is continuing to ask anyone with information about the vehicle or the shooting to come forward, by calling the Akron Police Department Detective Bureau at 330-375-2490 or 330-375-2Tip or by submitting information anonymously to the Summit County Crime Stoppers at 330-434-COPS or by texting TIPSCO at 274637.
An award of up to $22,500 for information is being offered by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Summit County Crime Stoppers and the U.S. Marshals Service.
