On the evening of October 26, 2024, 18-year-old LaShae Ellis attended a Halloween party at a residence on Paris Avenue in Akron’s Summit Lake neighborhood. Around 10:45 p.m., an unidentified male produced a handgun and fired shots inside the house. Ellis was found severely wounded by responding officers, taken to Cleveland Clinic Akron General, and pronounced dead. Two other teenagers, a 16-year-old male and a 17-year-old female, suffered non-life-threatening injuries and are expected to recover.

Ellis had graduated a year early from Buchtel High School and was studying business and entrepreneurship at Stark State College. She worked at The Summa Early Education and Learning Center and had been promoted to lead teacher. Her mother, Krystal Ellis, described her as a bubbly, sweet, and smart young woman.

Police arrested an 18-year-old man who fled the scene and discarded a handgun; he was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and obstructing official business, but authorities have not confirmed his involvement in the shooting. Investigators continue to seek the shooter, and Summit County Crimestoppers is offering up to a $5,000 reward for information. If anyone has information about the shooting, please contact the Akron Police Department Detective Bureau or Summit County Crimestoppers.