Erik Sharp, 22, a Black/African American man from the Cleveland area, was killed on August 7, 2025, during a domestic-violence shooting that unfolded in East Cleveland. Police were called to a home on North Taylor Road shortly before 11 p.m.; responding officer Joshua Durda was shot in the leg outside the residence, and two people were found fatally shot inside. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner identified the victims as 22-year-old Erik Sharp and his 82-year-old grandfather, Charles Roscoe.
Investigators quickly focused on a single suspect: Erik Sharp’s 24-year-old brother, Aaron Sharp. Authorities said the violence began as a domestic incident and escalated to gunfire inside the home; after the first exchange of shots, more gunfire was reported as officers secured the area and awaited SWAT. A manhunt stretched into the next day before U.S. Marshals located and arrested Aaron Sharp on August 8.
In the days that followed, prosecutors outlined a sweeping case. Aaron Sharp was charged with two counts of aggravated murder for the killings of his brother, Erik Sharp, 22, and his grandfather, Charles Roscoe, 82, along with multiple counts of felonious assault and attempted aggravated murder tied to the shootings of two East Cleveland police officers. His bond was set at $3 million at arraignment as officials emphasized the gravity of the attack on family members and law enforcement.
A Cuyahoga County grand jury later returned a true bill of indictment detailing the events “on or about August 7, 2025.” The document includes aggravated murder counts, murder counts, and firearm specifications, as well as felonious-assault counts specifically naming Erik Sharp as a victim. It also charges attempted aggravated murder and felonious assault where the victims are identified as peace officers, plus tampering-with-evidence counts.
Public records and local reporting memorialized the loss of Erik Sharp, 22, as the community processed the domestic nature of the crime and the injuries to officers. Subsequent coverage reaffirmed that the case centered on a single suspect—Aaron Sharp—who, according to prosecutors, was responsible for both family members’ deaths and the wounding of the officers.
