Mayor Malik Releases Statement on Highland Square Shooting

Mayor Malik has released the following statement in response to a shooting which took place shortly after 1am this morning:

“Last night's shooting in a crowded public space in Highland Square left multiple individuals injured and endangered countless others. This incident reflects a complete disregard for human life. Gun violence continues to threaten our community, as we have seen most recently at Lane Field, Kenmore, and North Hill. 

I want to give my heartfelt thanks to the Akron Police officers who were already on scene working a neighborhood security detail and breaking up a separate fight when the shooting erupted. They moved quickly to secure the area, assist victims, and begin the investigation. Their bravery helped prevent an already dangerous situation from becoming even worse.  

The Highland Square neighborhood has a unique concentration of nightlife, and this year, we have been working with businesses and other stakeholders through our new Special Improvement District to address continuing safety challenges. Some of those challenges include significant public consumption of alcohol on sidewalks and parking lots, illegal possession of weapons, and reckless business practices at Highland Tavern. Some of the steps we have taken in response to these challenges include additional presence of APD officers, continuous private security foot patrols on weekend evenings, temporary closure of Highland Tavern in May due to not having a valid occupancy permit, as well as monitoring of their occupancy limits since re-opening. We will continue working with all partners on further safety measures for this area, just as we will in other neighborhoods where we have seen specific, recurring issues.  

Today, my thoughts are with those who were injured, and I wish them a full recovery. Violence will not be tolerated in Akron. We will work tirelessly to identify those responsible, hold them accountable, and continue to get violent offenders off our streets. Everyone deserves to feel safe when they gather in our city – and we cannot and will not accept gun violence as a normal part of community life.”

Ward 1 Councilmember Fran Wilson added, “For nine months, many in the district have been working to secure funding and support to tackle public safety issues and bring neighborhood improvement. Over the past two months, private security and police have been working diligently to de-escalate tensions while enforcing the law in the late-night scene. The personnel on the ground last night helped to keep people safe amid a chaotic scene. I thank them for their work.”