Jury finds man guilty of Warren home-invasion shooting

Staff report

WARREN

A jury found Allen Elkins IV, 31, of Haymaker Avenue Northwest in Warren and Seneca Street in Niles, guilty of two counts of aggravated burglary and single counts of felonious assault, kidnapping and aggravated robbery in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court.

The jury deliberated about three hours Friday before reaching its verdict.

Elkins could get more than 50 years in prison when he is sentenced after an investigation into his criminal background.

Eric McKnight testified he and Elkins exchanged gunfire in the basement of McKnight’s home on Adelaide Avenue Southeast on June 21, 2014, after Elkins and others came into the home uninvited.

McKnight said a man he could not identify came down the basement steps of his home holding a gun to the head of another man. The lights were off.

The gunman pushed the other man out of the way and fired at McKnight, who then fired back. Both men were hit by the gunfire, and Elkins showed up later at ValleyCare Trumbull Memorial Hospital with two gunshot wounds.

The jury found Elkins not guilty of two counts of felonious assault involving two other men in the home that night but agreed he used a firearm in commission of his other crimes.

Judge W. Wyatt McKay will decide whether Elkins’ background qualifies him for additional prison time as a repeat violent offender.