In the summer of 2022, a tragic event unfolded in a duplex on Montgomery Avenue in Ashland, Kentucky, forever altering the lives of a local family. On the evening of June 17th, neighbors were startled by the sound of gunfire, prompting a call to the Ashland Police Department. What officers discovered upon their arrival was a scene of profound loss.
Eighteen-year-old Summer Algarakhuly, a female, and her twenty-year-old sister, Selina Easter, were found inside the residence, both having succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds. Miraculously, a small beacon of hope remained amidst the tragedy; Summer's infant child was found unharmed at the scene.
The investigation into the double homicide quickly identified a suspect, 32-year-old John Tooson, who had connections to both Ashland and Toledo, Ohio. The day following the discovery of the sisters' bodies, law enforcement located Tooson in Toledo, approximately 260 miles away from the crime scene. He had barricaded himself inside a residence, leading to a standoff with police. In a desperate attempt to evade capture, Tooson shot himself. He was taken to a hospital in critical condition.
Following his recovery, Tooson was extradited back to Kentucky to face the consequences of his alleged actions. He was charged with two counts of murder for the deaths of Summer Algarakhuly and Selina Easter. Additionally, he faced charges of first-degree wanton endangerment, stemming from leaving the infant at the scene, and theft of an automobile. The relationship between Tooson and the two sisters was not immediately made clear by authorities.
