Man in custody after mother, 12-year-old son killed in shooting

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Dispatchers received multiple 911 calls, including one from a 49-year-old woman who had fled the scene after being shot.

Police told WOIO-19 that later, the caller provided detectives with information that helped identify the suspect as 28-year-old Brandon T. Casto.

Officers arrived on scene and found a car, partially on fire, that had crashed into the tree line on Hemlock Street, south of West Wilbeth Road.

Inside the car, officers found a 12-year-old boy who had been shot. The boy was pronounced dead on the scene at 8:34 p.m., WOIO-19 reported.

The driver, a 47-year-old woman, the mother of the 12-year-old, had also been shot.

She was taken to the Cleveland Clinic Akron General Medical Center, where she later died around 8:50 p.m., WOIO-19 reported.

The Summit County Medical Examiner said an update will be provided once the next-of-kin has been notified and the autopsy examinations are completed.

Police said that a 2-year-old boy, also the woman’s son, was inside the car and was not injured, WOIO-19 reported.

He was taken to Akron Children’s Hospital as a precaution.

Akron Police Detectives executed a search warrant at an apartment connected to the suspect and found multiple firearms, firearm accessories, and a large collection of ammunition, WOIO-19 reported.

Investigators later learned that Casto told friends that he may be fleeing Akron.

Detectives coordinated with the Meigs County Sheriff’s Office, where Casto later turned himself in, WOIO-19 reported.

He is currently being held at the Southeast Regional Jail in Nelsonville, facing two counts of aggravated murder and two counts of felonious assault.

“This senseless act of violence left a mother and her 12-year-old son dead and has deeply impacted our community. Tragedies like this extend far beyond those directly involved and affect people throughout Akron. These types of calls are amongst the most difficult our officers face. I commend our officers for their coordinated response and dedication which contributed to quickly identifying the suspect. Our detectives worked quickly to develop leads, secure critical evidence, and coordinated with the Meigs County Sheriff’s Office to bring Casto into custody. We will work with the Summit County Prosecutor’s Office to ensure that we continue to hold people accountable for committing acts of violent crime in our community.”

—  Akron Chief of Police Brian Harding

Akron Police Major Crimes Units detectives are still examining the circumstances surrounding the incident, and the investigation remains ongoing.

“I am heartbroken by the tragic loss of a 47-year-old woman and her 12-year-old son in this devastating act of violence. My thoughts are with their loved ones during this unimaginable time, and I am grateful the infant present was not physically harmed. I want to thank our Akron Fire and Akron Police personnel for their swift work both on the scene and during the initial investigation in this incident. I am glad that the perpetrator of these murders has been arrested and charged. We owe it to the victims in this shooting, and to the victims in all violent incidents, to confront the evils of violence head on, and that is what we will continue to do.”

—  Akron Mayor Shammas Malik

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