Deron Boston, 26, was shot to death inside a residence on the 900 block of Dayton Street in Akron’s North Hill neighborhood on the night of August 20, 2025. Officers arrived about 10:35 p.m. and found him with multiple gunshot wounds; the Summit County Medical Examiner determined fatal injuries to his neck and torso and ruled the death a homicide. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 11:01 p.m.

The shooting occurred during a week of heightened violence in the city. Around the same time, a 25-year-old man arrived at a local hospital with gunshot wounds, and detectives have been exploring whether that incident is connected to the Dayton Street killing. Police canvassed the block, collected evidence, and asked anyone with information to come forward; by the morning after the shooting no arrests, suspect names, or motive had been announced.

What remains clear is the late-night burst of gunfire inside a North Hill home and a community left seeking answers. If anyone witnessed the shooting, saw suspicious activity on Dayton Street that night, or knows anything about the other wounded man, please contact the Akron Police Detective Bureau or Summit County Crimestoppers.