Police said multiple shots were fired as juveniles gathered near a community center to watch a fight.
AKRON, Ohio — Two 15-year-old boys are recovering and expected to survive after they were shot Thursday evening when gunfire broke out near an Akron community center where a large group of juveniles had gathered to watch a fight, police said.
The shooting happened shortly before 7 p.m. Sept. 17 in the 900 block of Hartford Avenue, near the Lawton Street Community Center on Akron’s west side. One boy was shot in the chest and the other was struck in the upper left leg, according to Akron police. Both were taken to Akron Children’s Hospital. Police Lt. Michael Murphy said Sept. 19 that both teenagers were recovering and expected to survive.
Officers responded after receiving reports of gunfire and found the two wounded teenagers when they arrived. Police provided medical assistance until paramedics reached the scene. Authorities have not publicly identified either boy, both of whom are minors.
Investigators said their preliminary inquiry showed that a large group of juveniles had gathered near the community center to watch a fight. Police said the fight moved toward Hartford Avenue and Little Street before multiple shots were fired. The crowd then scattered.
Police have not said whether either of the injured teenagers was participating in the fight or was among those who had gathered to watch it. Authorities also have not publicly identified who fired the shots or released a suspect description. No arrests had been announced as of the latest police update.
Detectives and crime scene personnel began collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses Thursday night. The Akron Police Department’s JAM Unit and Crime Scene Unit were among those involved in the investigation, according to reports based on police information. Investigators were working to determine the circumstances surrounding the gunfire and identify whoever was responsible.
Murphy told the Akron Beacon Journal shortly after the shooting that investigators were still in the early stages of the case. At that point, police had no identified suspects and had made no arrests. A Sept. 19 update from Murphy said the investigation remained active and that there had been no new developments announced that morning.
The teenagers’ improving conditions provided the main update two days after the shooting. Police initially described their injuries as believed to be non-life-threatening despite one of the boys having been struck in the chest. Murphy later said both victims were recovering and expected to survive.
The shooting remains under investigation. As of Sept. 19, Akron police had not announced an arrest, identified a suspected shooter or publicly established why the gunfire began as the crowd gathered near the community center.
Author note: Last updated September 19, 2026.