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Man shot dead on East Side street
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
People gathered on an East Side street and grieved Wednesday afternoon after a man was shot dead outside his home.
Family members said the victim is Jason Fonseca, 21. His death is the city’s second homicide of 2016.
Police were called to a 176 Ayers St. home just before 3 p.m. for a report of a man down in the street and a possible shooting. They found Fonseca dead in the street near his driveway.
Several family and friends arrived right away, crying and hugging each other, and at least one person talked about taking revenge. A steady stream of people and cars came to the snow-covered street, stretching all the way down the block to Rigby Street.
Some family members were also upset that the victim’s body, which was covered in a white sheet, was in the street for a long time.
Police at the scene, however, said they had to wait for the Mahoning County Coroner’s office to arrive before the body could be moved. Coroner’s officials were on another call, but once they arrived, they made their examination quickly, although there were gasps and wails when the sheet was lifted so that the victim’s wounds could be examined.
Detective Sgt. Darryl Martin said investigators believe Fonseca was killed because he was arguing with another man over a woman they both were involved with.
Martin said Fonseca was in the home when the other man came there, shot him several times and fled.
Martin said it appeared that Fonseca was not the instigator, based on the fact that he was found outside without a coat and was still in his house slippers.
“He’s [Fonseca] not looking for trouble,” Martin said.
Dr. Joseph Ohr, the forensic pathologist for the coroner’s office, said that Fonseca was shot multiple times but he said he would not be able to determine which wound was the fatal one until he was able to do an autopsy. Dr. Ohr said he expected to do that autopsy today.
Crime scene personnel collected at least eight shell casings.
Fonseca’s grandmother appeared and said she came straight from her job when she heard the news.
Fonseca’s stepfather, Angel Gonzalez, said Fonseca was a graduate of East High School who was working and had played football for the Panthers.
“He was an all-around good student,” Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez said he was working on a car at a friend’s house when he heard of the shooting.
Tributes also poured in to Fonseca’s Facebook page, expressing shock and sadness at his death.
The last homicide in the city was Jan. 6 when a 22-year-old man was found shot to death at an apartment on East Philadelphia Avenue. Police have yet to make an arrest in that case.
In 2015, Youngstown recorded 23 homicides, solving 17 of them. At this time last year, the city had two homicides.