Pair arrested after city police hear dozens of shots Sunday

YOUNGSTOWN — Police found almost 40 empty shell casings and a 9mm handgun after reports said a man was arrested for firing several shots near a large crowd early Sunday morning in the Uptown section of the South Side.

Reports said officers were on patrol in the Uptown area about 2 a.m. because there was a large crowd on the streets when they heard a series of about 50 gunshots coming from the first block of West Hylda Avenue, reports said.

Members of the crowd began running and screaming as officers converged on the gunfire and found a man later identified as Charles Pete Jr., 20, of Saranac Avenue, shooting a gun in front of a home and another man was inside a car Pete was standing next to, reports said.

Reports said Pete was ordered at gunpoint to put his hands up but before he did he ducked down, threw a gun through an open window of the car and then popped up with his hands up.

The driver of the car, 28-year-old Victor Nixon of Tod Lane, threw a plastic bag out of the car which had three smaller bags of heroin inside, reports said. He was also arrested.

Police found 17 9mm shell casings and 17 .40-caliber shell casings in the area around the house and an additional two 9mm and .22-caliber shell casings a little further away, reports said. The gun was found in the car with a loaded magazine and an empty 30-round magazine next to it.

Pete was arrested on charges of carrying a concealed weapon, being a felon in possession of a firearm, discharging a firearm in city limits and inducing panic because his shots scared the crowd, reports said. Nixon was arrested on a charge of possession of drugs, heroin. Both were taken to the Mahoning County jail.

Police searched for victims but found none. Police from Struthers, Boardman, Austintown, Mill Creek Park, Youngstown State University and the Ohio State Highway Patrol were all on the scene.