2 teens arrested in shooting death of Farrell bar owner

Staff report

farrell, pa.

Police have arrested two teenagers in the shooting death of a bar owner outside his business Friday night.

Southwest Regional Police Chief Riley Smoot said Joshua Lee Stewart, 18, of 1218 Roemer Blvd., Apt. 2, and Devine Campbell, 17, 72 Shenango Blvd., were arraigned before District Magistrate Ronald Antos on Tuesday and were in the Mercer County Jail without bond.

Both are charged with criminal homicide and conspiracy to commit criminal homicide in the death of William Basilone, 58, owner of the popular bar and eatery Basilone’s on Roemer Boulevard. Campbell is charged as an adult.

The bar remained closed Tuesday.

Police said Basilone was shot at least six times outside the bar at 11:30 p.m.

The shooting began in an alley beside the bar and continued in the street out front, said Smoot.

He said both suspects have lawyers, and police don’t know the motive for the shooting, but they believe the two intended to rob the bar. Basilone was not robbed.

Smoot said police believe it was Stewart who shot Basilone.

He said the two were identified by surveillance cameras from several other businesses in the area. He said witnesses emerging from other bars nearby also saw the shooting, but it was the cameras that provided the best evidence.

Smoot said neither suspect has an extensive police record.

Stewart was arrested for retail theft in February, and Campbell was charged with assault in a different community, he said.