43
Cops: Victim may have shot himself
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
Police say a man who was wounded in a shooting on the South Side may have shot himself.
Surveillance footage from a Sami Quick Stop on Market Street near Midlothian Boulevard shows who police say is the victim, Roderick Weaver, 22, of Cameron Avenue, get out of a car that pulled into the store, run out of the parking lot onto a sidewalk, and reach for something in his waistband area, then double over and run away.
Weaver was found at a house on the corner of West Judson and Hillman avenues. He had a gunshot wound to the groin and was taken to St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital.
He was the only person injured in the shooting in which two groups of people from two vehicles exchanged gunfire about 4:15 p.m. in the parking lot of the store.
Lt. Doug Bobovnyik of the detective bureau said that with the number of shots fired and the amount of traffic on Market Street, it was a wonder no one was hit by a stray bullet. He is sharing the video from the store of the shooting because he hopes someone can identify the vehicles or the people on the video.
The video shows a black SUV was already in the parking lot when a white Buick pulls in. Weaver is one of the people who gets out of the Buick and first runs toward the store, then heads to the sidewalk before he doubles over and runs away.
The two groups exchange gunfire, run around the parking lot, then leave, their vehicles almost colliding with each other on the way out.
Weaver told police he was walking on Market Street when he heard gunfire and was then shot. When he was found, he did not have a gun on him, Bobovnyik said.
Bobovnyik said police will be doing a gunshot residue test on Weaver.
Bobovnyik said police have no suspects and no idea why the two groups were shooting at each other.
Anyone with information can call the detective bureau at 330-742-8911.