AKRON, Ohio — Nearly a year has passed since a teenager was gunned down outside of an Akron business.
The murder of 17-year-old Anthony Elliott remains unsolved, but his mother, Shamika Howard, of Cleveland, continues to push for answers and justice.
"I'm not gonna stop until justice gets served and that's the bottom line. I want justice for my baby," Howard said.
Howard is forced to focus on memories of her son after he was lost to gun violence last October.
"He was just an innocent soul. He just wanted to hang out with his friends, play basketball, play video games," she said.
Anthony should have received his diploma from Lincoln-West School of Global Studies in Cleveland this past spring, but Howard had to accept it in his memory.
"He was not there to be able to walk the stage, retrieve his diploma like all the other kids," Howard said.
On the night of Oct. 29, 2023, Anthony went with family to Versified Expressions Poetry Cafe on Romig Road to attend a rap performance.
However, there was an altercation inside. The fight spilled outside and gunfire followed, police said.
Three people were shot, including Anthony, who was killed.
Chief Deputy David Laughlin told News 5 that he feels for the family.
"The family who now has to grieve for the rest of their lives for their loved one— at such a young age being taken from them— I can't even imagine the heartbreak," Laughlin said.
Howard said she's frustrated that people who know the truth about the deadly shooting are not coming forward and that the killer still has not been identified.
"I believe they're a coward, and for someone to walk the streets like that, I don't think they should be able to," she said.
Howard also questioned whether detectives are doing enough to solve her son's murder.
"It's going on a whole year and I'm getting led on, I feel like," Howard said.
But Laughlin said police will leave "no stone unturned" and the case remains an active investigation.
"We're frustrated also. It's a community effort to solve these crimes. People were there. People know what happened," Laughlin said. "Even just a couple of weeks ago, [investigators were] conducting interviews, looking for additional search warrants as names come up."
As the one-year anniversary approaches, Howard plans to do "her own footwork" in her quest for answers.
"Anthony did not deserve this. He had his whole life ahead of him."
Anyone with information on the case is urged to call the Akron Police Detective Bureau at 330-375-2490 or Summit County Crimestoppers at 330-434-COPS.
