Five years after gunfire tore through a packed off-campus party near the University of Akron, killing 18-year-old Maya McFetridge and 25-year-old Alex Beasley, no one has ever been charged, and the victims’ families say the wait is taking a physical toll. Beasley’s mother, Keesha Wilson, says she suffered a stroke in 2023 that she attributes directly to the stress of her son’s unsolved murder.
The shooting happened during a large party near Kling and Wheeler streets in the early hours of September 19, 2021, according to News 5 Cleveland. A fight broke out at the gathering, and shots struck Beasley along with McFetridge, who died at the scene. Beasley held on for five days before he died at Cleveland Clinic Akron General, and a third young man survived his injuries, according to statements from the University of Akron issued after the shooting.
Wilson has spent five years hoping for a break in the case. She told News 5 Cleveland she hopes her son’s murder will be solved before she dies, and she has urged anyone with information to come forward, saying the victims deserve justice. Her husband, Damione, Beasley’s stepfather, was diagnosed with lung cancer and died in November, according to the same report, adding another layer of loss to a family still waiting for answers.
A Wall of Silence at a Crowded Party
McFetridge’s mother, Cheryl Rossbach, has described how police told her in 2025 that her daughter died after shots were fired at the 2021 party, per the station’s report. The case remains an active investigation, and Akron police detective Christopher Brown has said the public’s help could provide information to turn the case around, according to News 5 Cleveland…