One of three Warren shooting victims died of suicide, coroner says

Staff report

WARREN

The Trumbull County Coroner’s office has ruled that Brandy M. Joseph, 37, one of three people who died in a car on Southern Boulevard Northwest last week, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

Joseph, who had various area addresses, was a passenger in a car driven by Devonte L. West, 24, of Hamilton Street Southwest, whose death was ruled a homicide.

A ruling on the cause of death for Ju’wantae A. Harbin, 18, of Douglas Street Northwest, has not yet been released by the Mahoning County Coroner’s office.

Harbin was pronounced dead at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital.

Joseph and West were pronounced dead at the scene.

Warren police have said they expected at least two of the deaths to be ruled homicides.

The shootings occurred last Thursday night as a Cadillac containing the three went into a yard on Southern and into the side of a house. Gunshots could be heard before and after the crash, witnesses said.

Police said they recovered only one gun in the car.

Police have refused to discuss who they believe killed whom or what led to the shootings but have indicated that they do not believe anyone else but the three were involved in the killings.

Joseph, a Warren G. Harding High School graduate, has five children, according to her obituary.