Dr. Kofi Akamani, a 48-year-old professor at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, has died after sustaining gunshot injuries in Illinois, United States. The incident occurred on Saturday, September 19, 2026, in Jackson County, southern Illinois. According to the Jackson County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to reports of a shooting near Lake Road between Murphysboro and Carbondale at about 5 p.m. Dr. Akamani was subsequently taken to Memorial Hospital of Carbondale, where he was pronounced dead from injuries sustained in the incident.
Authorities have arrested 35-year-old Betty Akamani, Dr. Akamani's wife, in connection with the shooting. The Jackson County Sheriff's Office has indicated that the investigation remains at an early stage, and investigators have not publicly disclosed the circumstances that preceded the incident. Local reporting has said the accused was scheduled to appear in court on Monday, September 21, where prosecutors were expected to formally present charges.
Dr. Akamani was a professor of Forest Recreation and Conservation Social Science in the university's School of Forestry and Horticulture. He joined Southern Illinois University in 2011 and was promoted to full professor in 2024. The university's current academic catalogue lists him as a professor in its Forestry programme. His academic work focused extensively on the relationship between people, natural resources, and the environment.
Dr. Akamani contributed to the United States Fifth National Climate Assessment, a major federal assessment examining climate change impacts, risks, and adaptation across the country. He also participated in major international scientific assessments involving biodiversity, ecosystems, forests, water, food, and human wellbeing. In June 2026, he was elected Secretary General of the International Union of Biological Sciences for a three-year term.
Dr. Akamani was born and educated in Ghana before pursuing advanced studies in Europe and the United States. He began his university education at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Planning with a specialisation in Urban Planning in 2003. He later travelled to Norway to pursue graduate studies at the University of Oslo.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale has mourned Dr. Akamani, describing his death as a tragic loss to the university community. The institution said he had been a member of its faculty and extended condolences to his family, friends, colleagues, and students. The university's community is yet to come to terms with the sudden loss of one of its prominent faculty members.
The circumstances surrounding Dr. Akamani's death remain under investigation. Authorities have not publicly provided a detailed account of what led to the shooting, and further information is expected as investigators and prosecutors proceed with the case. For Ghana, his death represents the loss of an academic whose career connected institutions and research communities in Ghana, the United States, and other parts of the world.
Key points
- Dr. Kofi Akamani, a Ghanaian professor, was shot dead in Illinois, US, on September 19, 2026.
- Betty Akamani, the professor's wife, has been arrested in connection with the shooting.
- The incident is under investigation, and authorities have not disclosed the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
