Family of murdered local movie-goer speaks out

Dave Nethers
·2 min read
3

MASSILLON, Ohio – A hard working family man, father of two young children, a graduate of McKinley High School who earned an academic scholarship to Ohio State University and was making plans to marry his high school sweetheart in the coming year.

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That’s how Jonetta Ross describes her son Deron Davis, 27 who was shot and killed inside the Massillon Regal Cinema late Friday.

“He loved to be with his fiance. They have been together for ten years and what was supposed to be a date night for the two of them cost him his life,” said Ross.

Davis and his fiance’ had been at the theater watching a movie late Friday. They were still inside the theater lobby when he was shot multiple times.

Police were there within two minutes of the first 9-1-1 call, believing there to be an active shooter scenario inside the Regal cinemas.

“There was quite a few people and when our officers arrived there were people running, exiting the movie theater, there were people still inside.” said Massillon Police Lieutenant Nicholas Antonides.

Body camera video released to Fox 8 News shows officers clearing patrons from one of the theaters inside the building.

As of Monday police still could not share a possible motive.

“I can say that, no other person that we believe inside the movie theater was a target except for the victim,” said Antonides.

Police said one bystander was also injured by the gunfire, but the injuries are considered non-life-threatening.

While officers were still at the scene investigating Corvon Thomas, 20, showed up at the Massilon police department were he voluntarily turned himself in, police said.

Police on Monday also did not discuss any possible relationship between Thomas and the victim.

Ross said she had never met Thomas.

“He (Deron) was a hands on dad and he was engaged. He wanted to get married. He had his girlfriend, his fiancé’  since high school so he was a family man said Davis’s grandmother.

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Thomas was charged with one count of murder, another count of felonious assault and is being held in the Stark County jail while the investigation into the shooting continues.

His bond was set at $1 million.

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