Central State mourns murdered incoming freshman; LeBron James pushes investigation

Crawford was with her grandmother in Akron when a car pulled up next to the driver’s side door and opened fire. Crawford’s grandmother was not injured in the attack, but Crawford was hit multiple times and died later in the hospital.

Central State University, in Wilberforce, released a statement following Crawford’s death.

“Na’kia, who had committed to attend Central State in the fall to study computer science, possessed the intelligence and promise that any university would have eagerly welcomed among its student body,” a university spokesperson said in the media release. “Sadly, this tragedy has robbed the world of seeing what Na’kia could have achieved at Central and in life. The entire Central State University community mourns her loss and sends our deepest condolences to her family and friends.”

Akron police are seeking any information on the attacker, and the mayor of Akron is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the shooter.

Akron native LeBron James also brought attention to the homicide by tweeting Tuesday that he is not letting the investigation into Crawford’s death slow down.