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Two caught in crossfire at South Avenue store
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The owner of a South Avenue store is wheeled into an ambulance Wednesday after he and a 10-year-old boy inside the store were wounded by two men inside who were shooting at each other. His name was not available at press time. Police are still searching for the two gunmen.
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
The owner of a South Avenue store and a 10-year-old boy were in the wrong place at the wrong time early Wednesday afternoon as both were wounded while two men inside the store were shooting at each other.
Both victims were taken to St. Elizabeth Health Center after the shooting at the 3211 South Ave. store about 1:25 p.m.
The shooters got away.
Detective Sgt. Darryl Martin said two males were arguing, and one of them went into the store. The other male went in shortly afterward, saw the first male, and started firing at him. He returned fire, and the victims were hit as the two were shooting at each other.
Martin said he was not sure of the condition of either victim. He said the boy is someone who always hangs out at the store and the owners allow him to stay there.
Police did not release the victims’ names Wednesday evening.
A woman who lives in a building next door who did not want to give her name said she heard the gunshots and saw a car driving away. When asked what the neighborhood is like, she laughed.
“This is not a surprise,” she said.
Tony Bailey, who also lives in the neighborhood, said he called 911. Bailey said he was dropping someone off at a nearby home when he heard the shooting.
“I heard two pops. A pause. Then two more pops,” Bailey said.
Bailey said a city police cruiser drove by at almost the same time traveling north on South Avenue and went a couple of blocks before turning around. Bailey said he saw two teens come out of the store and sort of half walk, half run, up a nearby street.
“They wasn’t in a hurry,” Bailey said.
Bailey said he is a combat engineer in the Ohio National Guard with 16 years experience and said it is upsetting about the violence in that part of town, especially at the store, because the owner recently had moved from another building and was trying to make a go of it.
“Can you just give a man a chance to make it? This is the United States of America,” Bailey said.
Martin said police think they know the identity of one of the shooters, but are still working to find out who the second person was.