Akron teen pleads guilty to murder in man's fatal shooting on Metro bus

Stephanie Warsmith, Akron Beacon Journal
·3 min read
Kavon Jackson talks with his defense attorneys Walter Madison, left, and Jake Will on Monday in Akron before entering a guilty plea for the fatal shooting of William Howell II in 2021.
Kavon Jackson talks with his defense attorneys Walter Madison, left, and Jake Will on Monday in Akron before entering a guilty plea for the fatal shooting of William Howell II in 2021.

An Akron teen pleaded guilty to murder Monday in the May 2021 shooting death of a man on a Metro bus that followed an argument.

Kavon Jackson, 18, was scheduled to go on trial Tuesday in Summit County Common Pleas Court. He instead pleaded guilty under an agreement with prosecutors to murder with a gun specification that carries with it additional prison time.

Judge Christine Croce will sentence Jackson on Tuesday. He faces life in prison with possible parole after 18 years.

Jackson’s plea meant that he avoided the possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison if he was convicted of aggravated murder.

Witnesses say fight preceded shooting

Jackson shot and killed William L. Howell II, 21, about 5 p.m. May 18, 2021, at the Akron Metro RTA Transit Center on South Broadway in downtown Akron.

William L. Howell II, 21.
William L. Howell II, 21.

Witnesses said a fight broke out on the bus before the shooting.

Police said two Akron officers on duty at the transit center heard the gunshots and saw Jackson and another teen running. Officers detained both teens, though the other teen wasn’t charged and was released.

More:Man shot on Metro bus in Akron identified; teen charged with murder

Howell was shot multiple times and died in surgery about two hours after the shooting.

There were other passengers on the bus at the time of the shooting, police said, but no one else was injured.

The shooting was captured on high-quality surveillance footage that included audio, attorneys said.

Kavon Jackson talks with his defense attorney Jake Will on Monday before entering a guilty plea for the fatal shooting of William Howell II in 2021.
Kavon Jackson talks with his defense attorney Jake Will on Monday before entering a guilty plea for the fatal shooting of William Howell II in 2021.

Jackson, who was 17 at the time of the shooting, was bound over from Summit County Juvenile Court to be tried as an adult. He was charged with aggravated murder, murder, felonious assault and carrying a concealed weapon. Several charges included gun specifications.

Attorneys request dismissal of charges because of Supreme Court ruling

Jake Will and Walter Madison, Jackson’s attorneys, requested that Croce dismiss several of the charges against Jackson because of a recent Ohio Supreme Court decision that pertains to juveniles who are bound over to be tried as adults. The ruling said juveniles can only be tried in adult court on charges for which probable cause was found in juvenile court.

Croce opted to dismiss Jackson’s charges besides aggravated murder and felonious assault.

Had Jackson’s case proceeded to trial, he planned to argue self-defense. Will and Madison said Howell initiated a fight with Jackson but Jackson ended the fight and got on his bus to go home. The attorneys said Howell followed Jackson onto the bus and physically charged at him before the shooting, according to court documents.

Several family members watched Jackson’s plea on Monday via Zoom, but none of them spoke. They will be permitted to speak during the sentencing.

Assistant Prosecutor Seema Misra said family members were in agreement with the plea deal.

As part of Jackson’s deal, prosecutors agreed to dismiss the felonious assault charge against him.

Defense attorney Walter Madison hugs Kavon Jackson on Monday in Akron after he entered a guilty plea for the fatal shooting of a William Howell II in 2021.
Defense attorney Walter Madison hugs Kavon Jackson on Monday in Akron after he entered a guilty plea for the fatal shooting of a William Howell II in 2021.

After Jackson’s plea, Madison hugged him before he left the courtroom.

Madison and Will declined to comment until the sentencing.

Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com, 330-996-3705 and on Twitter: @swarsmithabj.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron teen pleads guilty to murder in man's fatal shooting on bus