Man found guilty in connection with fatal shooting at Akron apartment building

AKRON, Ohio -- A second man has been convicted in connection with the shooting death of a 46-year-old Akron man in 2018.

A Summit County jury on Friday found Demarcus Shealy, 27, of Akron guilty on all counts, including murder with a gun specification, two counts of felonious assault with gun specifications, two counts of felonious assault and obstructing justice, Summit County Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh said in a news release.

The charges stem from the April 16, 2018 fatal shooting of Jason Bradford at an apartment where Shealy was staying on the 800 Block of East Exchange Street in Akron’s Middlebury neighborhood.

Bradford and Shealy got into a fight, prosecutors say. Shealy left the apartment, called his 24-year-old cousin, Samantha Lamp, and asked her to come over.

Lamp arrived with a group of people, including Lavon Rankin, 24. They called for Bradford to come outside.

As soon as Bradford exited the apartment, Shealy hit him with a brick, Walsh said. Several people continued to fight with Bradford in the hallway and Rankin fatally shot Bradford.

Rankin, Shealy and Lamp were indicted in June, Summit County Common Pleas records show.

Lamp pleaded guilty to obstructing justice, court records show. She was sentenced to three years of community control.

Rankin was sentenced on Dec. 19 to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges of voluntary manslaughter and having a weapon under disability.

Shealy originally pleaded guilty on Dec. 18 to charges of voluntary manslaughter, felonious assault and obstructing justice, but withdrew that plea on Jan. 29.

Under the original plea, Shealy would have avoided a life sentence. Now, he faces a potential maximum sentence of life in prison. He is scheduled to appear Wednesday for sentencing before Common Pleas Judge Christine Croce.

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