Jericho L. Mangual, a 12-year-old Black male from Barberton, Ohio, died on March 28, 2026, after a shooting in Akron that also killed his mother, 47-year-old Tania Mangual. The violence unfolded around 8:10 p.m. near 30 West Wilbeth Road, across from Firestone Stadium, after multiple 911 calls reported gunfire in the area. When Akron police arrived, they found a vehicle that had crashed into a tree line on Hemlock Street just south of West Wilbeth Road and was partially on fire.
Jericho
was found inside the car suffering from gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after 8:30 p.m. His mother, who had been driving the vehicle, had also been shot. She was taken to Cleveland Clinic Akron General Medical Center, where she died from her injuries just before 9 p.m. Another child, Tania’s 2-year-old son, was also inside the vehicle but was not physically injured. He was taken to a hospital as a precaution.
Investigators said one of the 911 callers was a 49-year-old woman who reported that she had fled after the suspect fired at her. She survived and later gave detectives information that helped identify the alleged shooter as 28-year-old Brandon T. Casto. Police said Casto left the Akron area after the shooting and turned himself in at the Meigs County Sheriff’s Office in southern Ohio near the West Virginia border.
Authorities charged Casto with two counts of aggravated murder and two counts of felonious assault. He was later held on a $3 million bond and entered a not guilty plea. Police said the Major Crimes Unit continued investigating the circumstances of the shooting, while reports indicated detectives were looking into whether a parking dispute may have been part of the motive.
The deaths shook both Akron and Barberton, where Jericho was a student in Barberton City Schools. The district described the killings as a heartbreaking tragedy and made counseling and support services available for students, staff, and families. What began as an evening near a residential area ended with a mother and son fatally shot, a toddler left without his mother and brother, and a suspect facing serious felony charges as investigators worked to determine exactly what led to the deadly confrontation.
