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Warrant issued for suspect in shooting
YOUNGSTOWN
Police have issued a warrant for the man they believe fired a shot that struck Kenneth Woods Jr. in the head.
Woods, 22, had been hospitalized for weeks after the shooting and is now undergoing intensive therapy. He said he has not regained the complete use of his arms and cannot move his neck.
“They [doctors] said I will get better, but it’s going to take three to four months,” he said. “I am just eating good and trying to gain my strength back.”
The shooting happened Nov. 28 on East Lucius Avenue near Erie Street on the South Side. Police were called to the scene at 3:30 p.m. in response to reports of gunshots, a large fight and several wrecked cars.
When they arrived, they found Woods, of West Judson Street, slumped over in the driver’s seat of his car. The rear window was broken out, and there was an exit hole from a bullet in the windshield.
Woods had a head wound and couldn’t speak, police said. He was taken to St. Elizabeth Health Center.
Capt. Rod Foley, Youngstown police, said the situation is especially sad because Woods did not have anything to do with the fight or the situation that had taken place just before the shooting.
“He was just a guy who was hung up in all the traffic there with all the fighting going on,” said Foley. “He was fortunate to make it through this.”
Foley said warrants have been issued for Kshaun Weaver, 19, of East LaClede Avenue, and his mother, Erica Weaver, also of East LaClede. Erica Weaver is wanted for felony tampering with evidence, and Kshaun Weaver is wanted for felonious assault and illegally carrying a firearm in connection with the shooting of Woods.
Woods said he just wants to see whoever is responsible for his injuries in police custody as soon as possible.
“I just want them caught right away,” he said. “I was just driving and really didn’t know what was going on.”
The Weavers have not been officially charged with the crimes until those warrants have been served, a representative of the clerk of courts office said.
According to Foley, police at one point obtained verbal permission and searched the Weaver home looking for Kshaun. He said Kshaun was not at the home, but officers did see ammunition they believe belonged to the man. Erica Weaver, Foley said, would not allow officers to take the ammunition without a search warrant. When officers returned with the warrant, the items were gone, leading to the arrest warrant for Erica Weaver.
Foley said investigators had been in contact with Kshaun Weaver before issuing the warrant for his arrest, but he had been completely uncooperative with officers. Now, he said, police are looking to charge him with the shooting and are trying to find him.
“We have information that they may be out of town. We are trying to verify that right now. We also have reports that people have seen them in town,” he said.
Foley is asking that anyone with information on the whereabouts of either individual call Youngstown police at 330-742-8911 or Crime Stoppers at 330-746-CLUE.