Man wounded in North Side shooting

YOUNGSTOWN — City police are trying to determine who a group of men were and why they shot at two teens hitting one in the buttocks.

According to police, officers were traveling along Belmont Avenue late Monday evening when the police cruiser was nearly struck by another car running a red light. When officers pulled the car over it was discovered that a passenger in the car, 18-year-old Ian Thomas of Florida Avenue, had been shot.

Thomas, at St. Elizabeth Hospital, told officers he went to visit a 17-year-old friend in the 500 block of Union Street just after 11 p.m. when three to four men showed up and started shooting at the pair.

Police recovered 16 spent shell casings from the area of the shooting.

Reports said Thomas was struck once in the buttocks and is listed in stable condition.