AKRON, Ohio – A Sunday afternoon shooting in Patterson Park has claimed the life of 21-year-old Keion LaShawn DeGrate, according to the Summit County Medical Examiner. The tragic incident has left the Akron community shaken as police intensify their investigation.
Around 3 p.m. on December 8, Akron police responded to multiple 911 calls reporting gunfire in the 600 block of Lucille Avenue. “There were a number of 911 calls that came flooding into the call center,” said Akron Police Captain Michael Miller. “Each of those callers reported hearing over a dozen shots. Some reported that it sounded like rifle rounds.”
When officers arrived, they discovered DeGrate’s body in a grassy area near the basketball courts. He had sustained multiple gunshot wounds inflicted by an assault rifle and was pronounced dead at the scene. Police recovered over 12 rifle casings from the field, further emphasizing the violence of the attack.
Witnesses reported seeing a vehicle, possibly an SUV, fleeing the area immediately after the shooting. Police have since recovered a vehicle and are working to determine its connection to the crime. “We’re trying to determine the association between the incident and whoever was driving the vehicle and their degree of involvement,” Captain Miller explained.
The investigation remains active as detectives seek to identify and apprehend the shooter. Authorities are asking anyone with information to come forward to help bring justice for DeGrate and his family.
This senseless act of violence has left the Patterson Park community grieving and calling for action to address gun violence. Keion LaShawn DeGrate’s death serves as another reminder of the devastating toll such incidents take on families and neighborhoods.