A man was found dead with a gunshot wound Tuesday morning in a southeast Canton parking lot after a resident spotted his body outside a vehicle, prompting a homicide investigation.
According to the Canton Police Department, officers and paramedics were dispatched at about 7 a.m. Tuesday to Skyline Terrace Apartments in the 900 block of Alan Page Drive SE after a 911 caller reported an unresponsive man lying near a vehicle in the parking lot.
When first responders arrived, they found an adult male dead from a gunshot wound to the lower back. Investigators are working to identify the victim.
Based on information gathered by Jordan Miller News, investigators believe the shooting occurred sometime late Monday night or early Tuesday morning, although the victim’s body was not discovered until daylight.
The 911 caller told dispatchers they found the man lying underneath or beside a white GMC Acadia in the parking lot. The caller said the victim appeared cold to the touch, had blood beneath him and was wearing only one shoe. The caller also told dispatchers they did not know the man.
A nearby resident, Mason McCord, said he believes he heard the shooting hours before the body was discovered.
McCord, who lives in an apartment overlooking the area, said he heard a loud argument coming from below his apartment followed by several gunshots.
“I heard the pops and saw the flash from the gun,” McCord told Jordan Miller News. “I didn’t actually see anyone get shot.”
McCord said he then saw one person chasing another before police arrived in the area shortly afterward.
Having lived in the neighborhood for about five years, McCord said the violence has left him concerned for his family’s safety.
“It’s getting scary,” he said, adding that he worries about his children because of the recent crime in the area.
Police have not announced any arrests or identified a suspect.
Anyone with information 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.
The investigation remains ongoing.
