Akron police detectives are looking for several suspects after two separate shootings on Monday.

The first shooting happened around 4:30 p.m. near Kenmore Blvd. and Manchester Road.

Police say 37-year-old man was walking home when three men approached him and asked him for money.

As the victim reached into his pockets, one of the suspects pulled out a gun. He was then shot in the back after a brief struggle with the suspects.

He flagged down a passing car after the suspects fled in a Red Chevy Beretta.

The victim was taken to Akron General Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries.

The second shooting happened shortly before 7 p.m. on Brighton Drive.

Police say 36-year-old man was standing near a home when a car pulled into a driveway and opened fire.

A backseat passenger got out of the car and shot the victim in both of his legs. He was taken to Akron General Medical Center with with non-life threatening injuries.

Police are still looking for suspects in both cases.

The first shooting took place in the 900 block of Wall Street. The victim told police he was sitting in his van when two black males approached him. After forking over the cash, suspects fired a shot at him.

It sent the victim to the hospital for a non-life threatening injury.

Police decribe the suspects:

The first around 25-years old, 5’0” to 5’04”, 150 pounds, with black braided hair and wearing dark clothing. The second suspect is 22 to 23-years old.

They got away in the victim’s van, a dark blue 2001Chevy Venture with Ohio plate number FMD1250.

The second shooting near South Hawkins Avenue and Thurston Street happened at 5 a.m. Friday morning.

The 48-year old male victim reported he was walking home when a silver SUV pulled up next to him.

After a brief struggle, one suspect fired a shot and struck the victim in the shoulder. The suspects then got back into the SUV and fled. The victim was taken to Akron General Medical Center for non-life threatening injuries.

The vehicle was possibly a silver Lincoln Navigator.

Elected and community leaders say they'll spend the new year working on ways to reduce the amount of violence that plagued the city last year. 

Akron NAACP President Ophelia Averitt, who is also a national NAACP board member, says a key component involves neighbors working together to form new neighborhood block clubs or strengthen existing ones.

"Block clubs know what is going on in their communities," says Averitt.

The biggest hurdle:  Getting people to commit is never easy.  Averitt says people will be more willing now more than before because they're fed up that people are getting shot in the streets. 

Addressing Akron Violence by Akron NewsNow

Akron City Council President Marco Sommerville also mentions block club establishment as he listed the problem as a top priority for the council this year.

Sommerville says starting a dialog is only the beginning.

"We have to do more than that," said Sommerville.  "If we don't include people who have been left out, then we're going to see more and more of this type of activity."

Sommerville says finding ways to keep kids in school and young adults in college or trade school would help significantly.

Law enforcement has teamed up to make arrests in last week's spate of fatal shootings in Akron.

After arresting 28 year-old Christopher Meadows on Friday afternoon - wanted in the shooting death of 27 year-old Tramein Walker of Akron - Akron police and the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force teamed up again later that day.

Over the weekend, the task force announced the arrest of 29 year-old Dawud Spalding on kidnapping charges - he was also wanted for questioning in shooting deaths Thursday on Grant Street.

U.S. Marshall Pete Ellliot says the task torce is a team with law enforcers from all over Northern Ohio...

"We put a coalition together, and brought in units from other counties and other cities to assist us and mobilize," Elliott tells AkronNewsNow.com. "Our strengths are in our partnerships together. There's a problem here in Akron right now, and we're here to address those issues and that problem."

ANN's Mike Ward talks to U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott by MPWard

Ellliot says the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force has officers from all over the state, helping in Akron.

"So we have officers from Toledo, Lorain, Youngstown, Akron, Cleveland, all over, Mansfield," Elliot says, "that we can mobilize at any time to come in and assist."

Those out of town officers are deputized while working on the task force, and can make arrests wherever they are needed.

Elliott says the task force and Akron police have been "pounding the pavement" non-stop since Thursday morning.

U.S. Marshals Service - news release

The U.S. Marshals Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force (NOVFTF) Akron Division stepped up their efforts to assist with the rash of violence that has occurred in Akron over the last week.  The NOVFTF called in Task Force Officers from three counties. Task Force Officers worked non-stop hand in hand with the Akron Police Department, Street Narcotics Uniform Division (SNUDS) unit, hitting the streets non-stop since Thursday morning.  The long hours and dedication paid off with their first arrest on Friday afternoon.  Christopher Meadows, 28, wanted on the charges of Homicide was arrested by the Task Force and SNUD units, on S. Arlington Ave., Akron at approximately 3pm.  Meadows, was wanted in the shooting death of Tramein Walker, 27, of Akron which occurred on Wednesday.  Walker was shot to death after an argument on Roselle Ave. occurred.

The NOVFTF and the Akron Police SNUDS unit did not sit back and relax, they continued to pound the streets, conducting numerous interviews and surveillance throughout the rest of the day and early evening.  At approximately 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Dawud Spaulding, 29, of Akron, was arrested on Dominion Ave., on the charges of Kidnapping, he was also wanted for questioning in the shooting deaths that occurred on Thursday at an Grant St., address in Akron.

Peter Elliott, U.S. Marshal, Northern District of Ohio stated “The NOVFTF is committed to assist local police departments in assuring that their citizens feel safe.  The NOVFTF has worked very hard to track, locate and apprehend fugitives from justice no matter where they run and hide.  The work of the Task Force Akron Division and Akron Police SNUDS unit over the last few days is just one example of how team work pays off and our commitment to the Akron community.”   “We will continue to hit the streets with all of our resources to assist in tracking down all of the shooting suspects.”    

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of a known fugitive is encouraged to contact the U.S. Marshals Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force at:  1-866-4-WANTED or text keyword WANTED and the tip to 847411(tip411). Tipsters may remain anonymous.

      The NOVFTF Akron Division consists of the following federal, state and local agencies:

Akron Police Department, Barberton Police Department, Bath Township Police Department

Boston Heights Village Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms, Copley Township Police Department, Cuyahoga Falls Police Department, Department of Housing and Urban Development – OIG, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Hinckley Police Department, Kent Police Department, Medina Police Department, Montville Township Police Department, New Franklin Police Department, Northfield Village Police Department, Norton Police Department, Ohio Adult Parole Authority, Portage County Prosecutor’s Office, Portage County Sheriff’s Office, Ravenna Police Department, Reminderville Police Department, Stow Police Department, Summit County Sheriff’s Office, Twinsburg Police Department, United States Marshals Service, United States Secret Service, University of Akron Police Department, Wadsworth Police Department.
 

Statement by Mayor Don Plusquellic - December 16, 2011

Since Sunday, December 11, 2011, there have been nine people shot in the City of Akron, resulting in six deaths.  The shootings here are not random acts of violence.  The victims appear to have been targeted for reasons still under investigation.  

I want to assure the citizens of Akron that the Akron Police Department is working tirelessly to sort through these events, capture the suspects, and solve these serious crimes.  The U.S. Marshal’s Service led Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force is working to apprehend various suspects in this investigation.  The Akron Police Department, the FBI and the Summit County Sheriff’s Department are three of numerous agencies involved in this endeavor.  All resources are being exhausted so that these homicides can be solved as quickly as possible.

I want to reassure the law-abiding citizens of Akron that they are safe, and I think it is important to repeat that these recent shootings are not random shootings of Akron citizens, but rather the victims in these cases appear to have been specifically targeted.  

I encourage Akron citizens with any information about the recent shootings to call the Akron Detective Bureau at 330-375-2490.

Akron police are providing more information about a multiple shooting off campus near The University of Akron at around midnight early Saturday morning.

Akron police and University of Akron police were called to a home on Sherman Street for reports of a shooting. Six victims were shot attending a party.

Police say several party guests were asked to leave after a fight broke out, and shortly after they were asked to leave, a male returned and fired several shots into the crowd.

The shooter then fled.

Police say the shooting victims were transported to two area hospitals with injuries that don't appear to be life threatening.

The victims were males ages 18 to 41, from Akron, Cleveland and Warrensville Heights.

Police arrested six men, all from the Cleveland area:

Cordell J. Midgett-Crosby, 20, of Miramar Boulevard in Cleveland, Adrian L. Simmons, 20, of East 173rd Street in Cleveland, Frank J. Clardy, 20, of Colony Road in South Euclid, Darrel K. Crosby Jr, 20, of Ellison Road in South Euclid, and Lovell C. White, 23, of Ingleside Road in Cleveland, Ohio.

The gunman has not been identified.

Akron police Lt. Rick Edwards tells AkronNewsNow.com that police can't yet confirm an earlier WKYC Channel 3 report that the incident happened at a fraternity house. 

Lt. Edwards says police are working closely with the University of Akron to uncover more details, including whether any of the victims or suspects are students.