A suspect is in custody following a shooting that left a woman and her 12-year-old son dead Saturday night in Akron, police said.
Officers were called around 8:10 p.m. to the area near 30 West Wilbeth Road after receiving multiple 911 calls, including one from a 49-year-old woman who said she had been shot at and fled the scene. Investigators later identified the suspect as 28-year-old Brandon T. Casto.
When officers arrived, they found a vehicle that had crashed into a tree line on Hemlock Street, just south of West Wilbeth Road. The vehicle had partially caught fire. Inside, officers discovered a 12-year-old boy suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver, a 47-year-old woman and the boy’s mother, had also been shot. She was taken to Cleveland Clinic Akron General Medical Center, where she later died from her injuries, police said.
A 2-year-old boy, also inside the vehicle, was not injured. He was transported to Akron Children’s Hospital as a precaution.
Detectives with the Akron Police Major Crimes Unit and Crime Scene Unit processed the scene and later executed a search warrant at an apartment connected to the suspect. Authorities said multiple firearms, firearm accessories and a large amount of ammunition were recovered.
As the investigation continued, police learned Casto may have been attempting to flee the area. Akron detectives coordinated with the Meigs County Sheriff’s Office, where Casto later turned himself in. He is being held at the Southeast Regional Jail in Nelsonville.
Casto has been charged with two counts of aggravated murder and two counts of felonious assault.
Akron Police Chief Brian Harding called the shooting a “senseless act of violence” that has deeply impacted the community.
“These types of calls are amongst the most difficult our officers face,” Harding said in a statement, praising officers for their coordinated response and efforts to quickly identify the suspect.
Akron Mayor Shammas Malik said he was “heartbroken” by the deaths.
“My thoughts are with their loved ones during this unimaginable time,” Malik said, adding that he is grateful the toddler was not physically harmed.
The investigation remains ongoing. Authorities are asking anyone with information to contact the Akron Police Department Detective Bureau or Summit County Crimestoppers.
