Kayla Johnson, 18, female, was found fatally shot just after midnight on October 5, 2025, in Akron, Ohio. Officers responding around 12:15 a.m. to the 1300 block of Peckham Street, near South Hawkins Avenue, discovered two teenagers with gunshot wounds and attempted lifesaving measures, but both were pronounced dead at the scene. The Summit County Medical Examiner later identified Johnson as the 18-year-old victim and ruled her death a homicide from a gunshot wound to the head. The other teen, 17-year-old Janaya Miller, was ruled a suicide, and early investigative findings pointed to a murder-suicide involving two girls who knew each other.
Authorities described the incident as isolated and said there was no ongoing threat to the community. Akron Public Schools noted that Miller was a North High School student and Johnson a recent graduate, and said the school community was “heartbroken by the loss,” while grief resources were made available to students. Memorial listings and incident records corroborate the date, location, and manner of death.
Police have not reported any arrests. Based on the medical examiner’s findings and the working determination of a murder-suicide, investigators have identified the deceased 17-year-old as the shooter, and no additional suspects have been named publicly. The investigation into motive and circumstances remained ongoing in the days after the shooting.
