William Howell murder: Kavon Jackson, 18, who fatally shot man 10 times after altercation on bus gets life
AKRON, OHIO: A teenager from Akron, Ohio, who pleaded guilty to murdering a man on a bus last year was slapped with a life sentence. Kavon Jackson, 18, was convicted in the murder of William Howell, 21, by Judge Christine Croce of the Summit County Common Pleas Court.
In May 2021, Jackson, who was 17 years old at the time, got into an altercation with Howell on an Akron Metro bus at the transit center in downtown Akron. During the argument, Jackson shot Howell 10 times. Howell died later at the hospital.
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Following the shooting, Jackson led police on a short chase until he was ultimately apprehended, according to a press release from Summit County Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh. WJW reported that Jackson will be eligible for parole after serving 18 years in prison. “I wish I could bring my brother back but I can’t,” said Deja Parker, Howell’s sister.
“We lost two young Black men the day you pulled that trigger. I hope you take this time... not as a sentence, but as rehabilitation,” said Parker. “I hope that you find God and ask for forgiveness.” Jackson offered up an apology to Howell’s family, saying he didn’t look for trouble that day. ”I ain’t mean to take his life... I overdid it, I did. I’m sorry for that,” said Jackson as per Cleveland.
Several minutes after Judge Croce passed Jackson's sentence, families from both sides began yelling at each other and throwing punches in the third-floor hallway, a report said. Before deputies and other court personnel intervened to break up the fight, a victim advocate from the Summit County Prosecutor's Office who had helped Howell's family prepare impact statements in the courtroom became caught up in it. According to James Pollack, a spokesman for the prosecutor's office, the woman struck her head against a wall and sought treatment at an urgent care facility. Although no charges were brought, the Summit County Sheriff's Office is still looking into the altercation.
"It is a priority of the Summit County Sheriff's Office to maintain a safe environment for courthouse staff and the public. We are constantly reviewing safety protocols to ensure everyone's safety. This is very important with the recent volume of the high volatile case," said Sheriff Kandy Fatheree.