Homicide investigation continues

By John W. Goodwin Jr.

The man was found by police in an East Side parking lot.

YOUNGSTOWN — Police have not made any arrest but are following leads in an attempt to solve the city’s second homicide this year.

Montrelle Pinkard, 20, of Atkinson Avenue, was pronounced dead Monday morning at an area hospital. He was shot multiple times Sunday night at an East Side convenience store.

According to police, Pinkard drove to a store in the 700 block of North Garland Avenue just after 10 p.m. A short time later, police were called to the store about a possible shooting. Officers found Pinkard lying in the parking lot bleeding from the head.

Store employees told police that they heard about four gunshots then saw a car, possibly white, drive away from the area of the parking lot.

Pinkard had been shot in the forehead, left arm, left leg and right side of the neck.

Police also are investigating a second Sunday-night shooting that took place less than a half-hour after Pinkard was shot. The victim of the second shooting believes the two incidents are related.

According to police reports, officers were called to the 1500 block of Forestview Avenue just after 10:30 p.m. for the drive-by shooting of a home in that block. The homeowner told police he was in a living room chair asleep when he was awakened by gunfire.

Police found that two shots had been fired into the house traveling through an exterior living room wall and through two other rooms in the house. Police recovered two damaged slugs from the house.

The resident told police he had heard about Pinkard’s shooting. He said Pinkard was a friend of his 19-year-old son. The resident’s son had lived in the house with him until last year when the son went to live with his mother at a different location. The man told police the shooting may have been meant for his son.

Lt. Mark Milstead, Youngstown police, said police are following leads in the investigation but cannot release any further details at this time.

Pinkard is the second homicide of the year. Dene Montgomery, 30, of Wesley Avenue was found shot to death at a house on Lora Avenue on the North Side the evening of Jan. 2. There were no homicides at this time last year.

jgoodwin@vindy.com