Violent crime in Akron, Ohio has increased, which is mirroring an alarming trend across the country.
Just this week an 8-year girl was murdered and a 14-year-old was wounded in a shooting at a birthday party, according to Fox 8. Furthermore, two men were killed in separate incidents, Fox 8 reported.
The Beacon Journal said violent crime in Akron doubled in March and more than tripled in May compared to what it was in December. Fox 8 reported that murder in Akron is up as much as 50%.
Akron City Councilwoman Tara Samples said in an interview that the city was on track to have more shootings by the end of summer than in all of 2019.
“Our kids are out here like it’s a video game,” Samples said. “They’re killing each other without any rhyme, reason, or remorse.”
Samples added that violence is now constant throughout the day.
“It’s no longer at nightfall you start hearing the gunplay, it’s all day long now… they’re shooting up houses that have babies in them now,” she said.
Samples condemned the violence and said the community had to get to the root of the problem. The councilwoman called on the community “to take ownership and responsibility.”
Akron is not the only violent place in Ohio. In neighboring Cleveland, federal agents were tasked to intervene as part of President Trump’s anti-crime program, Operation Legend. In a press release, the Department of Justice said the program would send 25 federal investigators to the city and fund the hiring of 30 new Cleveland police officers.
“Cleveland is currently experiencing a significant increase in violent crime, with homicides currently up more than 13 percent and shootings up over 35 percent over 2019,” the DOJ press release said.
Statistics cited by the DOJ show similar increases across the country. Since 2019, Milwaukee homicides are up 85 percent, nonfatal shootings are up 64 percent. In Detroit, it has seen an increase of homicides around 31 percent and non-fatal shootings are up 54 percent from last year.
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Ben Kolodny is a reporter for The Ohio Star and the Star News Network. You can follow Ben on Twitter. Tips can be sent to [email protected].
