Ernestine Stallings and her girlfriend, Tasha Love, went to Dollar Tree to prepare for a birthday party for one of Love’s children when a day of celebration quickly turned to tragedy.
Stallings had just left the West Market Street store in Akron with Love on Monday afternoon and was in the process of loading balloons in the car when an unknown assailant shot her, according to Love.
Love said Stallings had offered to load the vehicle and was walking behind her when gunshots rang out. With her back turned to the incident, Love initially thought the gunfire was popping balloons.
“She took the balloons from me and had me get in the car and was going to load the car so I didn’t see what happened. It all happened so quickly…It was over in seconds,” Love said. “I looked back and saw smoke and I never ever in a million years thought that [she would be shot.]
“I tried to save her,” Love said as tears welled in her eyes.
911 caller reports lone gunman
Stallings, 34, was shot in the Dollar Tree parking lot around 1:30 p.m. and was later pronounced dead at Cleveland Clinic Akron General. Her family is completely dumbfounded as to who would want to shoot Stallings in broad daylight.
In a 911 call, a woman can be heard telling the dispatcher she saw a young man with low-hanging pants shoot Stallings with a rifle.
The caller said several people were trying to help Stallings, who was lying on the ground and still moving and breathing.
“He literally came up behind her and shot her, like for no reason,” the caller said, describing the sound of five gunshots. “I thought it was balloons popping and I looked over − 10 feet away from me he’s shooting the hell out of her.”
The case is still under investigation, with no available information regarding the suspects or any arrests, according to Akron police.
“We’re still looking at footage from Flock cameras in the area and trying to piece everything together, so nothing new to report at this time,” Akron police spokesman Capt. David Laughlin said Wednesday.
The Akron Police Department has installed these license-plate cameras throughout the city to help authorities track down stolen vehicles as well as people sought for questioning in criminal investigations.
Mother asks community to talk to police
The family is urging the public to help authorities solve this shooting death.
“It’s mindboggling why anyone would [shoot her,]” said Annette Stallings, Ernestine’s mother, who had previously lost another child to gun violence. “We are at a loss as a family and we are at a loss as a community. We are very angry and we want justice for her.
“We need the community to come together and talk to the police and help them find [my daughter’s killer,]” Stallings said.
Stallings owned a clothing company called Aduvii and was planning to marry Love. The family members said they have no idea who would want to harm her.
Her family described Stallings as dedicated to work and said she was generally well liked in the community.
“She’s so smart, such a hard worker. She graduated college and took care of everybody,” Love said.
Love said her girlfriend was never in a fight and was like a second mother to her three children.
“We had a dog together and the dog is just so sad, so sick without her,” Love said. “I’m trying to keep my faith in God, but it’s really hard to keep my faith in God when there’s people out here committing murders and bad people who were able to take her away like this, it’s not fair.”
Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Akron Police Department Detective Bureau at 330-375-2490 or 330-375-2Tip. People may also provide anonymous information to The Summit County Crime Stoppers, call 330-434-COPS or text TIPSCO with tips to 274637.