Akron police are investigating a devastating shooting that unfolded Saturday evening on the city’s south side, leaving a mother and her 12‑year‑old son dead and a toddler unharmed.
Officers were dispatched at approximately 8:10 p.m. to the area of 30 West Wilbeth Road after multiple 911 calls reported gunfire. Among the callers was a 49‑year‑old woman who had been shot but managed to escape the scene. She later provided investigators with crucial information that helped identify the suspected gunman.
The woman’s account led detectives to name 28‑year‑old Brandon T. Casto as the suspect. As officers searched the surrounding neighborhood, they located a crashed vehicle on Hemlock Street, just south of West Wilbeth Road. The vehicle had veered into a tree line and was partially engulfed in flames when first responders arrived. Fire crews worked quickly to extinguish the blaze so officers could reach the occupants inside.
Inside the vehicle, officers found a 12‑year‑old boy, later identified as Jericho, suffering from a gunshot wound. Despite immediate efforts to save him, he was pronounced dead at 8:34 p.m. at the scene. The driver, 47‑year‑old Tania Mangual, Jericho’s mother, was also found with a gunshot wound. She was rushed to Cleveland Clinic Akron General Medical Center, where she died from her injuries at 8:50 p.m.
A 2‑year‑old child, also Mangual’s son, was discovered in the back seat of the vehicle. Miraculously, he was not physically injured but was transported to Akron Children’s Hospital as a precaution. Police have not released details about how the toddler avoided harm, but investigators noted that the child’s presence underscores the severity and chaos of the attack.
Following the crash and recovery of the victims, officers located and arrested Brandon T. Casto, who was taken into custody without further incident. Detectives have not yet released a motive, but the investigation remains active as they continue gathering evidence and interviewing witnesses. The killings have shaken the Akron community, leaving neighbors grieving and searching for answers in the wake of a violent act that claimed two lives and endangered a third.