Yvette McIntyre-Allen was once told she could never have children, but despite the medical odds, she had one child: Ontario Bradley.
“I was so happy,” McIntyre-Allen said.
She described Bradley as a good kid who looked out for others and was building a successful career in music and videography.
That happiness came crashing down one year ago on May 31, when Martinez Williams shot and killed Bradley at an apartment in Akron’s Goodyear Heights neighborhood.
Now, a year and a day after Bradley’s death and a week after jurors found Williams guilty of killing Bradley, a Summit County Common Pleas Court judge sentenced Williams on June 1 to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 21 years.
“I have a long sentence that I can’t recover from,” McIntyre-Allen said at Williams’ sentencing hearing about her son’s death. “I can’t recover from this.”
Goodyear Heights shooting one year later
The shooting occurred in the early morning hours of May 31, 2025, inside an apartment on Darrow Road.
Summit County prosecutors said that as Williams attempted to “aggressively” remove a partygoer, Bradley intervened. That’s when Williams fired his gun twice, fatally striking Bradley once. Williams fled the scene.
When Akron police arrived at an apartment complex at 3:42 a.m. on May 31, 2025, they found Bradley with a gunshot wound to the torso. After providing emergency first aid, Bradley was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Williams turned himself in to Akron police the next day.
Attorneys Amanda Bizub, Seneca Konturas and Edan Konturas represent Williams, who will appeal his conviction. Judge Tammy O’Brien presided over the case.
Family, friends speak at sentencing hearing
Several friends and family spoke at Williams’ sentencing hearing. Each described Bradley as a caring man who went out of his way for others. He was the life of the party, and he worked hard, they said. Among those who spoke were Bradley’s close friend and his girlfriend.
When describing her relationship with Bradley, Lepri Johnson said she was his sister. Although they are not related, they shared a sibling-like bond.
When she first met Bradley at 15 years old, she was not doing well, but Bradley changed that.
“If it weren’t for Ontario making me smile and helping me enjoy life, I honestly don’t think I would be here without him,” Johnson said.
Johnson encouraged Williams to treat his prison sentence like a second chance to make a difference for his family and friends, noting, “You still matter.”
Bradley was supposed to be with his girlfriend, Dominque Hill, the night he died, Hill told the court. She described how her son still asks about Bradley and how his death affected her.
“I will never stop coming to see Yvette. We miss him so much. For anyone who has ever lost anybody, I’m so sorry. I never lost anybody,” Hill said. “This is the first time I have ever ever grieved, and it hurts so much.”
This isn’t the first loss McIntyre-Allen’s family has endured. Her father killed her mother, Carol McIntyre, in 1969. The extended family also lost Latajah Leatherwood in May 2022 and Tyion Scruggs in May 2020 in Texas.
Robert Allen III said he lost two sons, Javan and Markus Rogers, who were killed 90 days apart. Bradley is his third son lost to gun violence.
“Out of all my kids, he is the only one who ever did anything for me. He took me to games and was there,” Allen said. “I’m so tired and numb to death. I’m tired of dealing with it.”
Williams speaks to Bradley’s family
In speaking to the court, Williams apologized to Bradley’s family.
Bradley, he said, was his friend.
“That night was not supposed to happen. I don’t understand why it happened, how it escalated. I was on my way walking out the door and boom, it happened,” he said.
Balloon release honors Ontario Bradley
One day before Williams’ sentencing, McIntyre-Allen and dozens of family and friends gathered in Lane Field Park for a balloon release to honor Bradley. With a shout, they released white, black and red balloons.
“I love you, Ontario!” McIntyre-Allen yelled, tears streaming down her face as family members gathered around her in support.
Speaking after the memorial, Tamara Cohen said her godson, Bradley, will be “missed deeply.”
Bryce Buyakie is an Akron-based reporter who covers the courts and public safety for the Beacon Journal. He can be reached by email at bbuyakie@gannett.com or on X @bryce_buyakie.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron man sentenced in murder of Ontario Bradley. ‘It hurts so much’
Reporting by Bryce Buyakie, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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