MANSFIELD — Fred Antrican was not there the night his son was shot to death in a Brookfield Drive apartment complex hallway in 2023.
But the imagined sounds of those gunshots — three of which struck and killed 42-year-old Jason Antrican on Oct. 10 –must still reverberate in the father’s mind at night.
“It’s been going on 16 months … and it’s tough, you know. There’s been nights where it’s tough laying your head on your pillow.
“Your mind starts going off and … we’re just looking for some justice,” Antrican said Tuesday morning.
The grieving father said his son was struck by three bullets from two different guns.
“(He) was visiting some friends. He did not have a firearm with him. It’s horrible. You always read about it, but you’re thinking that is never going to happen (someone you love.)
“But it did,” Fred Antrican said.
Fred and Ginger Antrican — who are offering a $20,000 reward for information that leads to the conviction of the suspect(s) who killed their son — helped stage an informational protest outside Richland County Juvenile Court for two hours on Wednesday.
Retired Mansfield police Lt. Todd Newberry, a longtime family friend who worked with Ginger Antrican at the MPD, said the goal of the reward and the protest at 411 S. Diamond St. was to push for the arrest and prosecution of the people who killed Jason Antrican.
“For 16 months, the Antrican family has waited patiently, hoping someone would step forward and share the information needed to bring this tragedy into the light of day and to bring them closure,” Newberry said.
“This has not happened.”
On the night of the homicide, Mansfield police responded at 8:20 p.m. after taking numerous calls about shots fired and someone down in a hallway, according to Lt. Robert Skropits.
“Officers arrived in the area and located two gunshot victims,” Skropits said in a press release four hours later. “Both victims were taken to a local hospital.”
One of those victims was Antrican, a 1999 Clear Fork High School graduate who was pronounced dead at OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital. The other victim survived.
Skropits said at the time that a group of subjects fled the scene after the shooting, according to witness accounts.
Judge McKinley issues statement regarding protest
“I empathize with the family and friends who lost Jason Antrican. I’m sorry for the loss you have suffered.
“As a Judge, I’m responsible for protecting the independence and impartiality of the judiciary. I’m also responsible for making sure that it does not appear that the Court is siding with any party.
“The Court permits law enforcement to speak to suspects who are detained in our detention center with the approval of legal counsel or of parents. This rule serves justice by balancing the interests of everyone involved.
“As a separate branch of government, the Court has no involvement in any investigation. The Court has no knowledge of anyone being a repeat offender because no case has been filed in this Court.”
Judge Steve McKinley, Richland County Juvenile Court Judge
Antrican, who was the ninth of 12 gun-related homicides handled by Mansfield police in 2023, was not involved with those who fired the shots, according to Newberry.
“He just happened to be in the hallway at the wrong time at the wrong place. An exchange of gunfire happened and he was in the middle. He had nothing to do with it. He went to visit a friend and got caught in a gunfight,” Newberry said.
The retired officer said the juvenile court was selected as the location for the protest because the family believes the suspects were/are juveniles.
“We thought that’s as good as venue as any to bring it out and see if we can help the system move along a little faster,” Newberry said.
He cited state laws that afford juvenile suspects more protection under the law.
“That’s fine and that’s the way it should be. But you also need to remember that juveniles … just because you’re under 18 doesn’t mean that you can’t do adult things. And if they were juveniles at the time, they won’t be juveniles forever,” Newberry said.
(Below are photos from an informational protest Tuesday morning along the street outside Richland County Juvenile Court. The story continues below the photos.)
Fred Antrican echoed the retired police officer’s words.
“Juveniles get a lot of protection. And when stuff happens in this city (involving juvenile offenders), it’s usually not mentioned or brought out in the news outlets because they have protections,” Antrican said.
“I can understand that to a certain point. But when it gets to a point they’re coming out with loaded firearms and discharging them …. if they want to play like big boys, they need to get charged like big boys, instead of putting them away for a couple of years and letting them back out,” Antricans said.
Newberry, who retired in 2014, said the family has no issues with the way MPD has handled the investigation. The reward and the protest are aimed at convincing someone to step forward with information.
“The Mansfield Police Department does a fantastic job. I can’t say enough good things about the Mansfield Police Department.
“There is no expiration on murder. This is not an act of desperation. This is an effort to speed up the inevitable. Someone will talk. They always do.
“I have seen this dance before. One of two things is going to happen. Someone is going to step forward and share what they know and collect the $20,000 reward. If they did not have a good reason before, they have $20,000 good reasons now,” Newberry said.
“Or, if the suspects were juveniles (at the time), they are approaching adulthood or they are already there. Someone is going to make a bad decision as an adult and find themselves facing decades in prison.
“Their knowledge of this event is bargaining chip they will lay on the table. If you think someone is going to spend years in prison to protect you, you are mistaken,” Newberry said.