'My family is not whole': Gage Zirke's family speaks out after Akron man gets life in prison

As tears ran down her face, Lucrecia Rogers' voice cracked while she recalled how the shooting death of her son Gage Zirke in 2021 had affected herself and her family.

"My family is not whole," Rogers said. "Gage is not just another Black male whose life was cut short. I will never be able to see him again. Hug him."

Rogers spoke Monday morning alongside Zirke's stepmother at the sentencing hearing for the Akron man jurors convicted of murdering Zirke.

Summit County Common Pleas Court Judge Jennifer Towell sentenced Desean Williamson, 25, to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 15 years.

He was found guilty of murder, felony murder and felonious assault on Friday following a weeklong trial. Jurors found him not guilty of three gun specifications, which could have resulted in additional prison time.

"This is a tragedy for the two families," Williamson's attorney Kerry O'Brien said after the Monday hearing. He was also represented by attorney John Greven.

Williamson will appeal the verdict.

Shot and killed amid feud over speakers

Zirke was shot and killed on July 25, 2021, on the 2300 block of 11th Street SW following an altercation with Williamson, Akron police said.

Williamson and Teion Thompson, 22, were arrested in the shooting. Investigators determined the incident occurred over a set of stolen speakers.

Thompson took the stand last week during Williamson's trial in which he provided testimony that conflicted with other eyewitness accounts.

Thompson, represented by Jacob Will, was indicted in Summit County Common Pleas Court on charges of felonious assault, obstructing justice and two counts of murder plus fire specifications. He entered into a deal with prosecutors in May and pleaded guilty to obstructing justice.

The impact of Zirke's death 3 years later

Rogers said she and her family have endured much in the last three years. With each court hearing and news headline, she said she was forced to relive the events that led to her son's death.

Through the criminal investigation and legal proceedings, she learned that Zirke was killed over a set of speakers.

"I was told that he was killed over speakers, something that can be replaced over time with money," Rogers told the court Monday. "He can't be replaced. His siblings can never grow up with him."

Rogers told the court that the last three years were full of sleepless nights and endless migraines that have left her depressed.

At her job, there have been multiple lockdowns since 2021. Whereas before she could handle those lockdowns, now she panics and worries about her family's safety.

Remembering Gage Zirke

Zirke's stepmother Megan James remembered her stepson's laugh and his relationship with his little brother when she spoke about Zirke.

His little brother was weeks away from turning 6 when Zirke died, James explained. He saw his big brother as his best friend, idol and role model.

"One moment will forever be ingrained in our brain, the moment that we told him his big brother was gone," she said.

Towell sifted through a few victim impact statements and held up one written sideways on lined notebook paper.

"The most heartbreaking statement was from his 9-year-old brother," Towell said, referring to the same little brother mentioned by James. "He wanted to know why (Williamson) did this."

Like his little brother, Zirke was best friends with his other siblings, Rogers said.

Last week during her trial testimony, Rogers said Zirke was living in a Goodyear Heights apartment near his grandfather's home.

Like many 20-year-olds, he was still planning his future, but he hoped to go to college and play football. He also had dreams of entering real estate.

"He had plans to save money and buy a duplex. He wanted to live on one side and rent out the other," Rogers said.

Gage Zirke's family hopes the sentencing will provide some closure, they said in a statement given to the Akron Beacon Journal.

"His memory will forever remain in our hearts, and we will carry his legacy with us as we face each day without him," the family said in the statement.

Bryce Buyakie covers courts and public safety for the Beacon Journal. He can be reached by email at bbuyakie@gannett.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @bryce_buyakie.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: 'My family is not whole': Gage Zirke's family speaks out after Akron man gets life in prison