Prosecutors defend decision not to charge survivors in Howland double homicide

WARREN — Citing the provoking actions of Nasser Hamad and 1978 case standards, the Trumbull County Prosecutor’s Office turned in court filings today as to why it did not press charges against the three survivors of Hamad’s deadly shootings Feb. 25 at his Howland home.

Hamad, 47, is charged with two counts of aggravated murder and several counts of attempted aggravated murder in the deaths of two young men and the shootings of three other people in a dispute that turned deadly.

In the common pleas court filing, Chris Becker and Michael Burnett, assistant prosecutors, provided a list of Facebook messages posted by Hamad, 47, to John Shively, 17, and Bryce Hendrickson, 20, before the confrontation at Hamad’s home on state Route 46 in Howland near Eastwood Mall.

Among the messages:

“I home bring your gang I don’t need guns for u [deleted]”

“All of u and still know one showing up u [deleted] [deleted]”

“Action [deleted] where is it”

“Hurry the [deleted] up u [deleted] [deleted] and beep horn [deleted].”

“Shively u [deleted] looking face think u something ... U dirty broke trash ... Little midget white [deleted] boy ... I been still waiting for you [deleted].”

The filing says the “name calling back and forth” went on for hours, then the five arrived at Hamad’s house and a fist fight between Hamad and Shively took place outside, with no one entering the Hamad residence.

For the complete story, read Wednesday's Vindicator and Vindy.com