Man indicted for inducing panic at post office

YOUNGSTOWN — The Mahoning County grand jury has indicted a Grafton man on charges of inducing panic and making false alarms in connection with the July 30, 2007, evacuation at the downtown post office.

Indicted Thursday on the fourth degree felony charges was 28-year-old David Kopnitsky.

On July 30, three 911 calls were made, alleging that robberies were occurring at different locations around the city, including the post office; and all of the reports proved to be false.

But dozens of police cars and officers, together with sheriff’s deputies, FBI agents and postal inspectors converged on the post office early that evening after being told a gunman attempted a robbery and that a shot was fired in the lobby, shattering a large window.

Thirty-six postal employees were evacuated for three hours. Although a post office window was shattered from the outside, possibly by a rock, no postal employees reported seeing any gunman enter the building.

For more, see Friday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com