A Canton man has been arrested after police say a woman was critically injured when a bullet entered her home during alleged celebratory gunfire late Friday night.
According to the Canton Police Department, officers and Canton Fire Department paramedics were dispatched at about 11:35 p.m. Friday, July 3, to the 800 block of 20th Street NE after a 911 caller reported that a woman had been shot while asleep in her bed.
Police said the 46-year-old Canton woman suffered a gunshot wound to the back. She was transported to Aultman Hospital by Canton Fire paramedics, where she was listed in critical condition.
Responding officers quickly identified and arrested Darius J. Leishman, 24, of Canton, along with others who had allegedly been firing weapons into the air and setting off fireworks during Independence Day celebrations.
Leishman is charged with felonious assault, a second-degree felony, and improperly discharging a firearm at or into a habitation, also a second-degree felony.
Police Chief John Gabbard said the case serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of celebratory gunfire.
“The idea that firing weapons randomly into the air has no consequences, or knowing and ignoring those consequences is outrageous,” Gabbard said. “‘Celebratory gunfire’ is dangerous and illegal. It is heartbreaking that this victim had to suffer critical injuries to serve as an example of what should be clear and obvious to everyone.”
The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact the Canton Police Detective Bureau at 330-489-3144. Anonymous tips can also be submitted through Tip411 or Stark County Crime Stoppers.
