AKRON — Four teens were shot at a party in Summit County early Fourth of July morning.
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Akron Police were dispatched to the 700 block of Exchange Street for a shooting just after midnight on Tuesday, WOIO reported.
Officers who responded to the scene found a large gathering of people at what appeared to be a party. They also found that one or more suspects fired shots during the gathering.
During this time, four teens were shot. Three of the victims were identified as females ages 17 and 18, along with a man who was 19 years old.
They believed that the loud bangs were due to fireworks, a spokesperson for the Akron Police Department said. The victims later realized that they had been shot.
“It’s very difficult to tell the difference sometimes, like in this case, they thought it was fireworks going off until the victims realized they were struck,” Akron Police Captain David McLaughlin said. “They didn’t know it was gunfire so it’s very difficult to tell. This time of year we do get a lot of phone calls about fireworks and differentiating is challenging.”
Although the injuries were considered non-life-threatening, the victims were transported to local hospitals for further care.
McLaughlin later added that the police department received calls earlier that night related to the group having a party early Fourth of July.
Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Akron Police Department Detective Bureau at 330-375-2490 or 330-375-2Tip.