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Gunfire breaks out at funeral for Youngstown murder victim
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
A neighbor across the street from New Vision New Day Church heard several shots where a funeral was taking place for a homicide victim.
Sitting on her porch on Everett Avenue, the neighbor said she could hear the shots quite well.
“I heard pop, pop, pop and looked out my window, and I saw a guy bend down, then get up and I heard three more shots,” she said.
No one was injured after the shots were fired about 11:45 a.m. Thursday outside the church during services for Marquise Shelton, 23, who was killed March 20 in an Idora Avenue home. Lt. Doug Bobovnyik of the police department’s Detective Bureau said a dispute erupted between two people at the services, and one of them got a gun and fired several shots.
Bobovnyik said none of the rounds fired went into the church, but a couple of cars were struck by bullets. He said police do have a suspect and U.S. marshals were looking for the person Thursday.
Bishop Robert G. Moore Jr., pastor of the church who was officiating the funeral for Shelton, said it was “chaos” inside the church when the gunfire broke out.
“Everyone was running everywhere,” Bishop Moore said. “It was like a stampede.”
The bishop also condemned the violence.
“This violence must stop,” Bishop Moore said. “Young people killing young people – this must stop. You’re not taking into consideration all the people you hurt. You destroy families. You destroy marriages. And for what?”
Detectives said Shelton was killed after an argument over a video game broke out in the Idora Avenue home. Police are searching for Jermaill D. Holloway, 23, in connection with the case on a charge of improper discharge of a firearm at or into a habitation. Chief of Detectives Capt. Brad Blackburn said Holloway may face more charges in relation to Shelton’s death.
Blackburn said Shelton and Holloway argued over the video game and Holloway was asked to leave. He left the home but got a gun and fired several shots, one of which hit Shelton, Blackburn said. He has been wanted since the shooting, but police cannot find him.
Several other neighbors who did not want to give their names said they heard at least eight gunshots.
Linda Dodd, another neighbor, said her top priority when she heard the gunfire was to make sure her grandchildren were safe.
“I had my daughter make sure my kids got down on the floor,” Dodd said.