Man charged with assault in shooting of two women in West Akron neighborhood

An Akron man was charged with three counts of felonious assault after two women were shot in West Akron on Saturday afternoon.

At 4:18 p.m., Akron police responding to a call about a fight in the 200 block of Stoddard Avenue, learned en route that the incident was escalating.

The first officer arrived to find a woman and a man exchanging gunfire outside an apartment building. The 23-year-old woman surrendered, but the man ran off, police said.

Additional officers arrived to find two women on the ground nearby with gunshot wounds to their lower extremities.

Police moved the women, one 21 years old and the other 32, to a safe area and gave first aid until emergency medical personnel arrived. The women were taken to local hospitals with injuries that did not appear to be life-threatening, police said.

Police found the 39-year-old man, identified as Jason Turkovich, hiding behind a nearby apartment building, they said. He was taken into custody without incident and questioned at the police station.

Police said additional charges are likely in the case.

The 23-year-old woman was not charged and was later released.

During the confrontation, a car and a neighboring garage were struck by bullets. A handgun and other evidence were collected from the scene.

Police said the shooting stemmed from an ongoing dispute between the man and at least one of the injured women, who are neighbors. During the altercation, the man produced a handgun and fired shots that struck the victims, police said.

The 23-year-old pulled out a gun and fired back at him. She was not injured.

Neighbors told police the man has been harassing and threatening area residents in recent weeks.

Leave a message for Alan Ashworth at 330-996-3859 or email him at aashworth@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @newsalanbeaconj.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Man charged with assault in shooting of two women in West Akron