Background: The 1900 block of Shaw Avenue in Akron, Ohio (Google Maps). Inset: Jaiden Palmer (Summit County Sheriff”s Office).
An Uber driver picking up two men in Akron, Ohio, was suddenly fighting for her life when one of the riders pulled out a gun and shot her, police say.
On July 17, at about 9:30 p.m., police arrived at the 500 block of Sanford Avenue in response to reports of a shooting.
“Somebody’s been shot on Sanford,” a caller told 911 after the shooting, per audio obtained by Cleveland CBS-affiliate WOIO.
“OK, did you see what happened?” the 911 operator asked.
“Uh, no. They just… I heard the shots and I looked outside and they were on the ground,” the caller replied.
The 39-year-old unnamed victim was shot six times, police said, but after being brought to a nearby hospital, she survived and was listed in stable condition, NBC-affiliate WKYC reported.
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Police did not announce an arrest until a week later, when the Akron Police Department said the U.S. Marshals Service’s Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force arrested Jaiden Palmer, 18, on Shaw Avenue on Wednesday.
The defendant has been charged with felonious assault and aggravated robbery.
Law enforcement’s preliminary investigation revealed that, at some point during the Uber ride, “one of the suspects brandished a firearm and shot the victim six times, striking her in the abdomen and arm.”
Both suspects ran away after the shooting. It is unclear if police spoke with the other man or whether a warrant is out for his arrest.
Akron Police Lt. Michael Murphy recognized the fear that such a crime could have on ride-share drivers.
“I would advise anyone who is driving for ride-share apps, if they feel as though there is something suspicious or the circumstances surrounding one of their rides seem off, they have the ability to cancel the ride or contact the Akron police department so we can look into it,” he told WOIO.
Palmer is being held in the Summit County Jail.
