On the evening of March 28, 2026, in Akron, Ohio, a dispute allegedly over parking escalated into a tragedy that claimed the lives of 12-year-old Jericho L. Mangual and his 47-year-old mother, Tania Mangual. The incident unfolded around 8:10 p.m. in the 30 block of West Wilbeth Road, where police responded to multiple 911 calls reporting a shooting.
One of the callers was a 49-year-old woman who reported being shot at by the suspect as she fled the scene.
Arriving officers discovered a vehicle that had crashed into a tree line on Hemlock Street and was partially on fire. Inside the car, they found Jericho Mangual, who had sustained a gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after 8:30 p.m. His mother, Tania, who had been driving, was also found with gunshot wounds. She was transported to a local hospital where she succumbed to her injuries just before 9 p.m. A 2-year-old boy, another of Tania's sons, was also in the vehicle but was unharmed and was taken to a hospital as a precaution.
Information provided by the 49-year-old woman who fled the scene helped detectives identify 28-year-old Brandon T. Casto as the suspect. Investigators believe Casto knew at least one of the victims in common. After indicating to friends that he intended to flee Akron, Casto later turned himself in to the Meigs County Sheriff's Office. A search of an apartment connected to Casto uncovered multiple firearms and a large amount of ammunition.
Brandon T. Casto was arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated murder and two counts of felonious assault. He pleaded not guilty to the charges, and his bond was set at $3 million. The Barberton City Schools, where Jericho was a student, announced that counseling services would be available for students and staff affected by the tragedy.
