On April 7, 2023, 35-year-old Bryson O’Neil Barksdale Sr. was found unresponsive with a gunshot wound to the neck inside a residence on Otto Place NE in Canton, Ohio. Officers responded about 12:30 a.m., and the Stark County Coroner’s Office pronounced Barksdale dead at the scene. A frantic 911 caller said someone had driven by and shot up the house and that Barksdale was bleeding out, adding there were children in the home. A nearby resident reported hearing eight gunshots and seeing cars speeding past her house.

No arrests have been announced and no suspects have been identified. The Canton Police Department is investigating and has asked anyone with information to contact the Detective Bureau or submit anonymous tips through Tip411 or Stark County Crime Stoppers. Barksdale was a Canton McKinley High School graduate and member of Antioch Baptist Church, remembered for his infectious smile, love for cooking his grandmother’s recipes, and devotion to his children and family.

If anyone has information about what happened that night, please contact Canton PD or submit an anonymous tip.