An Akron councilwoman is asking residents to take action and personal responsibility for a sharp rise in gun violence in the city. Gun violence has been steadily climbing in Akron for the past three years, reaching levels not seen in recent history, according to a Beacon Journal analysis of shootings reported to the Akron Police Department. Ward 5 Councilwoman Tara Samples, who represents a lower-income corner of Akron with a disproportionate share of gun crimes, penned the open letter Friday. "We are burying our young at an alarming rate and something must be done about it," she wrote, telling a Beacon Journal reporter Sunday that her plea to end the violence is "getting pretty repetitive...
