Shawn Hawkins Jr., a 30-year-old Black man, was killed inside his home in Canton, Ohio, on the morning of February 12, 2025. The shooting occurred in the 1900 block of Second Street SW, where he lived with his longtime girlfriend and her sister.
Just before 11:30 a.m., a 911 call reported a shooting at the residence. When police arrived, they found Shawn Hawkins with a gunshot wound to his chest.
The incident began after an argument broke out between Hawkins and his 18-year-old sister-in-law, Money Baccus, over her cell phone and other property. The dispute escalated, and Baccus shot Hawkins. According to police, she also fired at her sister during the confrontation. The couple’s three small children, whom Baccus regularly babysat, were in the home and witnessed the shooting.
First responders administered aid to Hawkins at the scene before he was rushed by ambulance to Aultman Hospital. He was pronounced dead at 11:58 a.m. In the aftermath of the shooting, Baccus fled the home.
Investigators identified Baccus as the suspect, and the following day, she was located and arrested in Akron by members of the Canton Police Special Investigations Unit and the U.S. Marshals Task Force. She was initially charged with murder, felonious assault, and domestic violence. A Stark County Grand Jury later indicted her on charges of aggravated murder, murder, and felonious assault, and her bond was set at $1 million.
In January 2026, Money Baccus, then 19, went on trial in the Stark County Court of Common Pleas. On January 16, a jury found her guilty of aggravated murder, murder, and felonious assault. The murder convictions carried gun specifications. Baccus was sentenced to serve 31 years to life in prison, concluding the case as of January 2026.
