Westlake gunfire kills one

By William K. Alcorn

All available city police units were sent as an unruly crowd gathered.

YOUNGSTOWN — A puddle of blood on the sidewalk between Buildings D4 and D5 was vivid testimony to shootings Wednesday evening in Westlake Terrace Apartments that left one man dead, and another seriously wounded.

The man shot possibly twice in the chest area was found face-down by police in the area between the two buildings. He was taken by ambulance to St. Elizabeth Health Center’s trauma department, where he was pronounced dead, police Capt. Michael Vodilko said.

The other victim was shot in the leg and taken to St. Elizabeth by someone from the area, not by ambulance, Vodilko said.

The shootings occurred about 7:45 p.m. in the 500 block of Griffith Street, at an angle across the street from Beulah Temple United Holy Church of America.

Police said the victims are in their 20s. Their identities were withheld pending notification of family members.

This would be Youngstown’s 12th homicide of the year, pending an official coroner’s ruling.

Vodilko said two people of interest were apprehended and taken to be tested for gunshot residue. Vodilko said, however, it was not known if they were involved in the shootings or just in the vicinity where they occurred. Police also did not know a motive for the shootings.

After the shootings, a large unruly crowd of 30 to 50 people gathered in the area, prompting police to send all available units and officers to the scene. Police didn’t say whether they made any arrests.

Police recovered several shell casings at the scene, possibly from a semi-automatic handgun. However, no weapon was recovered, Vodilko said.

alcorn@vindy.com