The suspect arrested for a fatal shooting outside the McDonald’s on West Market Street in Akron April 6th appeared in Akron Municipal Court this morning.

21-year old Johnnl Lewis pleaded not guilty to murder and aggravated robbery charges. He is being held on $1 million 10 percent bond.

Police said Lewis tried opening the rear door of the fast-food restaurant on West Market Street on April 6 when he was confronted by employee John Lehman, who was taking out the trash.

Detectives said that’s when Lewis pulled his gun and shot John Lehman to death before fleeing the scene.

Lewis will be arraigned in Summit County Court May 3rd (at 8 a.m).  

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There's been an arrest in the murder of an Akron McDonalds employee.

Police brought Johnnl Lewis into custody late Tuesday night on South High Street.

He confessed on video to the murder of 28-year-old John Lehman from April 6th.

Police said Lewis tried opening the rear door of the restaurant, when he was confronted by Lehman, who was taking out the trash.

Authorities said Lewis pulled his gun and shot Lehman to death before fleeing the scene.

News Release from the Akron Police Department

The Akron Police Department is announcing the arrest of a suspect in the April 6th murder of a McDonalds employee. Late last night, 21 year-old Johnnl Lanier Lewis of Akron was taken into custody and charged with murder and aggravated robbery in the death of 28 year-old John A. Lehman.

John Lehman was shot to death while taking out the trash outside of the McDonalds Restaurant, located at 390 West Market Street.

Johnnl Lanier Lewis was identified after the police department received several combined tips. He was brought in for questioning and subsequently arrested.

Lewis was transported to the Summit County Jail, where he is being held pending arraignment tomorrow at 9 a.m. in Akron Municipal Court.

Chief James Nice said, “The police cannot solve all crimes on their own. Crime solving often depends on the community’s dedicated involvement. In this instance the public stepped forward to provide valuable information and we are very appreciative. This is a great example of how our community policing efforts are working to bridge the gap between safety forces and the public.”

In the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings, so many questions remain. Who? Why? How?

The smoke of the twin blasts at the race finish line still lingering in the national psyche with plenty of speculation as broadcast, print and web outlets churn opinion without much substance to go on at this time. We know what -- bombs detonated, to lethal and injurious affect. We know where, we know who the victims were but motivation is still unknown.

We do know this comes with this as a week rich in anniversary dates; Waco, Oklahoma City, the establishment of the nation-state of Israel, the annual tax rites, Patriot Day in one of the 13 colonies.

We know the face of an eight-year old Dorchester, Massachusetts boy stares at us from computer screens as the face of terrorism's victims in 2013. Martin Richards, seen here in a photo going viral on Facebook, may very well be the enduring vision we prefer to have coming out of the Boston bombing rather than the streets streaked with the carnage of those blasts.

We know the tragedy has Martin's face; a little boy who went to the marathon to cheer on his father, to give Dad a hug as he crossed the finish line, to start returning to the sidewalk where his mother and little sister waited.

To return just as the force of the blast hit, killing his sister and leaving his mother with terrible injury. The Richards family ripped apart by hate and blind violence, a wound felt by a nation.

We know America is once again sharing what makes up the daily life for people in the Middle East, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sudan and Somalia. American flags are flying at half-staff today by order of President Obama; Ohio flags fly at half-staff by order of Governor Kasich.

What are we to make of the impact here at home, eleven and a half years beyond September 11th? WONE's Jeff Kinzbach spoke with local law enforcement with unique views. Akron Police Chief James Nice heads one of the biggest police departments in northeast Ohio, one charged with helping maintain peace and safety for another marathon. The Akron Marathon welcomes thousands to the streets of our city, just as the Boston Marathon does on a much larger scale. As in Boston, there's a large finish line area where runners, friends and family gather to celebrate the accomplishment of 26.2 miles. As in Boston, nearly everyone carries their gear in a bag or backpack.

Brimfield Chief of Police David Oliver is a steady hand for a suburban department, one with a strong following across the world thanks to his embrace of social media and, in particular, his "Chief's Rants" on Facebook. Today Oliver writes "We cannot be afraid. We must be resolved and we must look ahead. We are the United States of America. We are Americans. We have been getting punched in the face for over 200 years. We wipe away the blood, mourn our dead and then we have the reckoning."

Both men are veteran law enforcement officers; in the case of Nice, it's a career that includes the F.B.I., now charged with getting answers on the who and why of the Boston bombings. Both are confident the answers will come from the hard work being done now by dedicated federal, state and local investigators. Both also say we live in a world where we need to take more responsibility not only for our own personal safety but also the safety of our community.

It's a lesson we shouldn't have to repeat every 11 years.

An Akron man is behind bars for holding a family of four hostage while he robbed a home, but his accomplice is still on the loose.

Police say 22-year-old Darrod Paige Jr and an unknown accomplice forced their way into a home on Nichols Court when the victim opened the door.

The victim and his girlfriend were held at gunpoint in the dining room of the home while the suspects stole cash, a gun, and a cell phone.

Two children, ages 9 and nine months, were also in the home at the time.

Two men decided to take advantage of three victims near Summit Lake Tuesday night by robbing them at gunpoint.

Police say three men sitting on the dock at the Summit Lake Community Center around midnight, when two men approached them, armed with a handgun.

The suspects ordered them to empty their pockets. They then kicked their cell phones into the water, took money from their wallets, then kicked the wallets into the drink.

The suspects fled on foot, and the victims resorted to flagging down a police officer for help.

The suspects are described as two young black males, wearing dark clothing.

Akron Police and the Summit County Medical Examiner's office are looking into a fatal shooting at a West Market Street fast food restaurant.

Akron police Lt. Rick Edwards says it happened to an employee at the McDonald's at 390 West Market Street on Saturday night at just before 11 PM.

Lt. Edwards says the employee was taking out the trash, when he was confronted near the back door and then was shot several times.

The victim, identified as 28-year old John Lehman of Crosby Street in Akron, was taken to Akron General Medical Center, where he died.

Police describe the suspect as a medium complexioned black male, 22 to 27 years old, 5’ 7” – 5’ 10”, 150-180 lbs., with a moustache, and say he was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt.

Lt. Edwards says the suspect was seen in a dark colored SUV with tinted windows,possibly a Ford Expedition or Cadillac Escalade, traveling southbound on Valley Street towards Crosby Street.

Anyone with information on the shooting is being asked to call the Akron Police Detective Bureau at 330-375-2490, the U.S. Marshal's Service at 866-4-WANTED, or Summit County CrimeStoppers at 330-434-COPS. Callers can remain anonymous.

New information in the case of the double homicide of a New Franklin couple.

18- year old Shawn Ford, Jr. of Akron is now facing felonious assault charges in connection with the brutal beating of his girlfriend, 18-year old Chelsea Schobert, the daughter of Jeffery and Margaret Schobert.

Akron Police Lieutenant Rick Edwards says Schobert suffered a skull fracture and several stab wounds as a result of the attack.

Ford is also facing aggravated murder charges after Jeffery Schobert and his wife, Margaret were found dead in their bedroom by construction workers Tuesday afternoon.

Lieutenant Edwards says 24-year-old Jamanye Ruiz, who had been charged in connection with the assault  has been cleared.

Bond has been set at $2 million dollars for Ford. His next appearance in court is scheduled for April 10th.
 

A burglar tried to sneak into an Akron home Tuesday afternoon, but a neighbor looking out for the area spotted the intruder and called police.

Officials say the suspect made entry at a home in the 1900 block of Springfield Center Road around 2PM through a broken window. The neighbor saw it and made the call.

When officers arrived, they found the suspect in the neighborhood of the burglary. After a short foot chase, 23-year-old Brandon Elkins was arrested.

Police found an XBOX 360, video games, and DVDs in his backpack.

Elkins is charged with burglary and possession of criminal tools, and was booked into the Summit County Jail.

It was a scary moment on Wednesday in the parking lot of North High School, but resource officers did not take any chances when they received reports of a man with a gun.

Police say a man was arguing with students around 3:30PM, and had what appeared to be a gun. A resource officer confronted the suspect, who then went on the other side of an SUV when asked to show his hands.

The man then pulled a gun from his waistband and threw it down, which hit a guardrail. 22-year-old Travaski Jackson was arrested without further incident.

The weapon turned out to be Colt defender air gun.

Jackson was booked into the Summit County Jail. He's charged with illegal conveyance of an object indistinguishable from a firearm into a school safety zone, facsimile firearm, inducing panic, criminal trespassing, and tampering with evidence.

An Akron man was shot early Monday morning, and had to go to the hospital.

Lieutenant Rick Edwards says the victim, 41-year-old Marlon Griffin, was found around 1:30AM on Thorpe Street with a gunshot wound to the leg.

He was taken to Akron City Hospital, where his injuries do not appear to be life-threatening.

Griffin said he was inside the house playing cards with several other people when the suspect came in and started shooting.

He also said he flipped over the table to try and protect himself, but was still hit.

That suspect was wearing a black mask and wearing a grey sweat suit, and remains at large.

Akron Police are looking for a robber who took money from a cell phone store late Thursday afternoon.

Shortly after 5 Thursday night, the T-Mobile Store,on North Hawkins Avenue, was robbed at gunpoint. The employees reported the suspect entered the store armed with a handgun and demanded all of the money. One employee emptied the cash register into a black and white, striped, plastic bag that the suspect was carrying. The suspect then demanded that the employee take him to the safe. Two other employees in the back room were ordered down on the floor. The suspect then took money and cell phones before fleeing the store.

No injuries were reported.

The suspect is a black male, 24 – 26 years old, 5’09” – 5’10”, 160 – 180 lbs., with black hair and a goatee. He was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and dark blue jeans.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Akron Police Department.