YPD investigates two separate gunfire calls

By Joe Gorman

jgorman@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Police said two separate incidents of gunfire late Monday and early Tuesday, about four hours apart on the South Side, appear to be unrelated.

In the earlier incident, officers found 36 shell casings by a Market Street gas station; and the second call resulted in a 31-year-old man being wounded on East Lucius Avenue.

That man, Seth Robinson, of East Auburndale Avenue, has a police hold on him at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital for an outstanding warrant from Columbiana County court for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.

Officers were called about 3 a.m. Tuesday to the 300 block of East Lucius Avenue for a report of shots fired, and when they arrived, they were flagged down by two people in the street who were helping another man give aid to Robinson, who was lying in the grass next to the porch of a nearby home.

One of the men told police he was awakened by gunfire and saw Robinson staggering in the street. Reports said the man opened his door and Robinson yelled for help before collapsing.

Reports said Robinson told the man and another person helping him that someone demanded money, and when Robinson said he did not have any, he was shot.

Police found a nearby car that was damaged by a stray bullet, reports said. When police found out Robinson’s name, they also discovered he had a warrant, reports said.

Earlier Monday, police found 36 shell casings from two different weapons after investigating a gunshot sensor call on the South Side.

Police were called about 10:45 p.m. to the first block of East Avondale Avenue, and when they arrived, they saw several employees of the Shell gas station at 3200 Market St. standing by one of the gas pumps.

Reports said they told police two vehicles were at the pumps when someone on Avondale Avenue began firing at them. Both vehicles then drove away, reports said.

No one was injured. At the shooting scene, police found 27 7.62 mm shell casings and nine 9 mm shell casings.

Chief of Detectives Capt. Brad Blackburn said the two incidents appear to be unrelated.