Authorities seize $80K worth of meth in Somerset bust | News | tribdem.com
One person is in custody after a drug bust was executed by investigators Thursday night on the 400 block of West Patriot Street in Somerset Borough, Somerset County District Attorney Jeff Thomas said.
Authorities seized approximately $80,000 worth of methamphetamine that was packaged for sale, several firearms, incendiary devices and a large amount of cash.
“This is the largest bust we’ve definitely had under my tenure here,” Thomas said
Source: Authorities seize $80K worth of meth in Somerset bust | News | tribdem.com
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Federal marijuana decriminalization now – New York Daily News
Communities of color in America are grappling with multiple threats to their health and safety: the COVID-19 pandemic, the menace of mass incarceration and the deadly epidemic of police brutality and violence.
The consensus is clear: Marijuana criminalization is a tool of oppression, not public safety. Federally decriminalizing marijuana will not heal the deep wounds caused by decades of biased enforcement, but it is a critical step toward a more fair, just and trustworthy legal system.
Meanwhile, a new poll found that support for legal marijuana is at a new high of 68% amongst U.S. adults. As a long-time congressional champion for criminal justice reform as well as an original cosponsor of the MORE Act in the House, and the elected prosecutor for the city of Baltimore, we have both witnessed the harms of marijuana criminalization. And we are proud to stand with our law enforcement and criminal justice colleagues who signed a joint statement calling on Congress to enact the reforms set forth in the MORE Act. This is an opportunity for the United States to lead on social, economic and restorative justice, and we urge members of Congress to seize it.
Source: Federal marijuana decriminalization now – New York Daily News
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Woman injured in carjacking in Pittsburgh’s South Side
A woman was injured during a carjacking in Pittsburgh’s South Side neighborhood Thursday.
Pittsburgh police responded to a report of a carjacking on East Carson Street around 9:35 a.m.
The woman said she was pulled out of her parked vehicle by an unknown man. The man then got into the driver’s seat of the vehicle and fled.Dr. John Talarico is one of the people who helped the woman.
He said, “Got the bleeding stopped, called the police and paramedics and they came and took care of her.”
A man who is too afraid to tell Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 his name or show his face saw the whole thing happen.
He said, “A guy came rushing into the car opened the door. The victim got out of the car with blood all over her face, she apparently had been slashed I waved her to come to me. She hurried over to me we moved over to a safer area.”
He said the two hid outside of a nearby business along Carson Street, then rushed inside of Talarico Chiropractic Clinic.
She suffered minor injuries and was transported to the hospital in stable condition.
Police were able to locate the vehicle near the Baldwin-Whitehall border around 11:15 a.m.
The suspect was taken into custody without incident.
PITTSBURGH —Source: Woman injured in carjacking in Pittsburgh’s South Side
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Longtime confidante says Bill Clinton visited Epstein’s island, likens family’s world to a ‘cult’ | Fox News
A new story is detailing allegedly explosive confrontations and shady activities that took place with former President Bill Clinton and his family, including that he took a 2003 trip to the “pedophile” island of disgraced billionaire Jeffrey Epstein.
Doug Band, who served as Clinton’s right-hand man for years after he left the White House, told Vanity Fair the 42nd president visited Little St. James, the Carribbean island where Epstein allegedly trafficked his underage victims.Clinton has denied visiting Epstein’s island, and a spokesperson provided the outlet with “detailed travelogue entries of the period in question that did not contain a visit.”
Epstein’s death last year sent shockwaves through the media as the convicted pedophile partied with some of the world’s most powerful elites. As allegations continued to emerge in the media, a photo surfaced of Clinton apparently receiving a massage from one of Epstein’s alleged victims.
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New report shows how disproportionately Black people in Pittsburgh are incarcerated, arrested, and confronted by police | News | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper
The Abolitionist Law Center (ALC) released a report today outlining their findings that show stark imbalances in how disproportionately often Pittsburgh’s Black population is incarcerated, arrested, and confronted by police and the criminal-justice system.
In a press release, the ALC describes the report as analyzing “trends in arrests and bail decisions, highlighting the impact of police and judicial discretion” in which they found “an undeniable system of racial apartheid.” The report collected data from Allegheny County municipal court dockets from May 11 to June 8 of this year.
The ALC is a Pittsburgh-based law firm that advocates on behalf of incarcerated people, especially those whose rights were violated during the judicial process or while in jail or prison.
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Pennsylvania Supreme Court hears arguments in Bill Cosby appeal – CBS News
Pennsylvania’s highest court questioned Tuesday whether Bill Cosby’s alleged history of intoxicating and sexually assaulting young women amounted to a signature crime pattern, given studies that show as many as half of all sexual assaults involve drugs or alcohol. Cosby, 83, hopes to overturn his 2018 sex assault conviction because the judge let prosecutors call five other accusers who said Cosby mistreated them the same way he did his victim, Andrea Constand. The defense said their testimony prejudiced the jury against the actor and should not have been allowed.
Source: Pennsylvania Supreme Court hears arguments in Bill Cosby appeal – CBS News
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Sweden: Mom suspected of locking up son for nearly 3 decades – New York Daily News
Police in Sweden suspect that an elderly woman kept her son locked up inside a filthy apartment for nearly three decades after a relative reportedly found the victim with no teeth and multiple injuries.
Source: Sweden: Mom suspected of locking up son for nearly 3 decades – New York Daily News
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1 arrested in robbery, 1 injured, at Derry Borough home | TribLIVE.com
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A Derry Borough man was hospitalized after police said he was hit in the head with a tire iron during a robbery at his home Friday.
The man told borough police that five people broke into his Hays Street home around 7 p.m. but the only one he could identify was Robert E. Coffren, 29, of Derry.
Coffren is charged with robbery, aggravated assault, theft, burglary, receiving stolen property and related offenses. He was jailed Saturday on $100,000 bail.
Source: 1 arrested in robbery, 1 injured, at Derry Borough home | TribLIVE.com
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Pregnant mom who disappeared on Thanksgiving found dead
A young pregnant woman in Missouri who was reported missing on Thanksgiving has been found dead, police and her family said.
The body of Amethyst J. Killian, 22, of St. Peters, was discovered at noon Friday lying outside in a residential block in her hometown just hours after relatives reported her missing at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving when she failed to return home, police said.
Officers responded to the location on North Church Street Friday after items belonging to the mom of two were found nearby, leading to the discovery of her body. Investigators did not indicate how Killian died, but investigators believe she was the victim of a homicide, police said.
Killian’s mother told KMOV her daughter was last seen walking to a gas station at 1 a.m. Thursday and never returned home. Relatives later found some of her belongings at a nearby park and called cops, the station reported.
Source: Pregnant mom who disappeared on Thanksgiving found dead
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Greensburg man gets 2 years in jail for setting his house on fire | TribLIVE.com
A Greensburg man pleaded guilty Monday to setting his house on fire.
Jeremiah N. Morgan, 41, was sentenced to spend up to two years, less a day, in the Westmoreland County Prison followed by five years of probation.
Morgan said he pleaded guilty to “get into treatment and get my life back together.” He was ordered to complete a drug and alcohol evaluation and be paroled directly to a treatment facility.
Source: Greensburg man gets 2 years in jail for setting his house on fire | TribLIVE.com
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Police Chase Ends With Multi-Vehicle Crash, Officer-Involved Shooting – CBS Pittsburgh
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Pittsburgh Police are investigating an officer-involved shooting in Homestead.
At this time, details are still limited.
The incident started with a car chase in Homestead that ended in the city of Pittsburgh.
According to Pittsburgh Police, it started around 11:00 Saturday night when Homestead Police saw a vehicle driving erratically.
The Homestead officer chased the vehicle into Pittsburgh before a crash took place involving their vehicles and a third vehicle.
After that is when Police say the officer shot the alleged suspect in the upper torso in the 3300 block of East Carson Street.
Pittsburgh paramedics took the man to the hospital in stable condition.
Pittsburgh Police are investigating the shooting and will interview the Homestead Police officer and other parties involved.
Source: Police Chase Ends With Multi-Vehicle Crash, Officer-Involved Shooting – CBS Pittsburgh
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Seattle-area homeowners report ‘sovereign citizen’ property seizure attempts: report | Fox News
That knock on your door? It might be someone attempting to take your home.
Police in suburbs north of Seattle say so-called “sovereign citizens” have been visiting homes in at least two communities, presenting homeowners with official-looking documents, and announcing that they’re the rightful owners.In at least one case, a homeowner was told she was being evicted, Seattle’s KIRO-TV reported.
“Their group believes they own all of the land between Alaska and Argentina and all the islands in between,” Sgt. Josh McClure of the Edmonds Police Department told the station. “Unfortunately, Edmonds falls between that land.”
The group has been known to operate in other parts of the U.S. as well, according to the report.In North Carolina, a couple took over a multimillion-dollar home that had been put up for sale and barricaded themselves inside – until ultimately being arrested for trespassing.
In Maryland, a member of the group moved into a 12-bedroom mansion.
Authorities in Edmonds and Woodway — both in Washington state’s Snohomish County – have been in contact with the FBI about the incidents there, McClure told KIRO.
Source: Seattle-area homeowners report ‘sovereign citizen’ property seizure attempts: report | Fox News
‘ANTI-GOVERNMENT’ MOM FROM UTAH ALLEGEDLY KIDNAPPED SON BEFORE GOING OFF THE GRID: POLICE
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Sacramento, Calif. Black Friday mall shooting: Two teens dead
A shooting at a Sacramento mall Friday killed one person and left another with life-threatening wounds and police were looking for the attacker.
Source: Sacramento, Calif. Black Friday mall shooting: Two teens dead
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Crews called to Dollar General for gunshot wound | News | tribdem.com
The Johnstown Police Department is investigating a shooting within the city Wednesday.
7th Ward Ambulance and officers were called to the Dollar General Store, at 641 Main St., around 5 p.m. for an individual with a single gunshot wound to his hand.
It was unclear how the person received the injury or where it had occurred, police said.
The Dollar General was only the reporting location.
Authorities are attempting to verify the validity of the victim’s story.
Source: Crews called to Dollar General for gunshot wound | News | tribdem.com
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2 Pittsburgh businesses robbed within hours overnight, police investigating
PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh police are investigating two separate robberies that happened at businesses early Friday.
According to investigators, the first incident was around 2 a.m. in North Oakland. Police said a man entered a store in the 100 block of North Craig Street, went behind the counter and smashed the register — stealing less than $100.
He ran from the store, and no one was injured. Officers are looking at surveillance video of the robbery, but no arrests have been made.
About three hours later in Banksville, police said a man went behind the counter at a store in the 2900 block of Banksville Road, grabbed a pair of scissors and demanded the store clerk give him money from the registers.
That man stole an “undetermined amount” of cash before running out of the store, police said.No one was hurt, and there is also surveillance footage being reviewed during the investigation.
These incidents are not related, and no information was released about possible suspects in each case.
Source: 2 Pittsburgh businesses robbed within hours overnight, police investigating
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Portland police arrest 3 for Thanksgiving Day vandalism spree; ‘at least’ 10 businesses damaged | Fox News
Three people were arrested in Portland after police say they caused “thousands” of dollars worth of damage vandalizing at least 10 businesses in the wee hours of Thanksgiving Day, police said.
The Portland Police Bureau said officers responded to reports of a group of people smashing windows and spray-painting graffiti on buildings starting shortly before 1:25 a.m. Thursday.According to authorities, callers reported seeing a group of people who were dressed in black clothing and “breaking out windows” as they made their way west along Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard in the southeast section of the Oregon city. When police arrived, they found damage to at least 10 businesses and storefronts.
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Gunfire reported in downtown Pittsburgh
PITTSBURGH —A bicyclist was shot by a driver following an altercation in downtown Pittsburgh on Tuesday afternoon, police confirmed.
Sky 4 video showed markers indicating shell casings on the ground near the corner of Fort Duquesne Boulevard and Seventh Street.
Officers responded to a report of a car crash at about 3:45 p.m. and learned that a shooting had occurred after some sort of dispute between the driver and a man on a bicycle, police spokesman Chris Togneri said.
The car drove onto the sidewalk, where it hit a Port Authority bus shelter, and the driver got out and shot at the bicyclist, who was struck in the leg, Togneri said.
The shooter was being questioned at police headquarters Tuesday evening. The bicyclist was taken to a hospital in stable condition.
The Port Authority tweeted that downtown bus service was being affected as police remained at the scene.
Source: Gunfire reported in downtown Pittsburgh
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Police: Driver was on drugs when she seriously injured pedestrian in Uniontown | Local News | heraldstandard.com
A woman was allegedly under the influence of marijuana when she backed into a pedestrian in a doctor’s office parking lot, causing serious injuries.
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Six shot in Brooklyn, man shot at point-blank in Harlem and ANOTHER commuter pushed onto subway | Daily Mail Online
Six people are believed to have been shot in Brooklyn (left) on Sunday; a day after a man was killed in Harlem (top right) and another pushed onto the subway tracks (bottom right).
- Police were called to Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood on Sunday
- At least seven shot with a woman, 20, killed as cops hunt more than one gunman
- On Saturday afternoon a man was shot dead in a robbery at a Harlem project
- Earlier on Saturday a man was pushed onto the tracks of a subway in Brooklyn
- The 29-year-old managed to scramble to safety and was unharmed
- He was the second person shoved onto the subway tracks in three days
- Hospital staff and EMTs say they are struggling with COVID and the violence
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1 Dead, 6 Wounded After Shooting At Sweet 16 Afterparty – YouTube
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Mayfair mall shooting: 15-year-old arrested, Wauwatosa police say
A suspect in a shooting at Mayfair mall Friday afternoon that wounded eight people has been arrested, according to Wauwatosa police.
Source: Mayfair mall shooting: 15-year-old arrested, Wauwatosa police say
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2 men charged with hindering investigation of Jeannette double shooting | TribLIVE.com
Two Westmoreland County men are charged with hindering apprehension and obstruction of justice for helping a Jeannette teenager dispose of two handguns after he allegedly shot and wounded two men last month.
Khalil L. Myers, 16, was arrested hours after the shootings at 4:46 p.m. Oct. 20 inside a house at 307 S. Third St. by Jeannette police and county detectives. He is charged as an adult with multiple criminal charges including two counts of attempted homicide.
On Thursday, city police charged Elijah S. Vento, 24, of Irwin, and Cedric M. Ward, 44, of Jeannette, for hiding evidence after the shooting and obstructing the investigation. Police allege Vento “disposed” of two handguns Myers possessed at the time of the shooting.
According to court documents, investigators spoke with both Vento and Ward at a home in the 300 block of North Pennsylvania Avenue in Greensburg, where they found Myers had fled after the shooting that wounded Austin Mathias, 19, of Crabtree, and Anthony Bittinger, 21, of Greensburg. Both Mathias and Bittinger were treated at Forbes Regional Hospital in Monroeville for their wounds.
Source: 2 men charged with hindering investigation of Jeannette double shooting | TribLIVE.com
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21 indicted in local cocaine, heroin ring supplied from N.J. | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
A federal grand jury has indicted 21 people on charges of dealing drugs as part of a trafficking organization operating in Allegheny, Washington and Fayette counties.
They are charged with dealing cocaine, crack, heroin and fentanyl, the U.S. attorney’s office said, following a seven-month wiretap investigation of 10 cellphones and dubbed “Operation Skyfall” by federal agents and police.
Authorities said the ring was led by Marcus Brown of Washington, Pa., who was arrested in October after a trip to pick up drugs in a New Jersey hotel parking lot. It was active across Western Pennsylvania and supplied out of New Jersey.
According to a criminal complaint filed in October, Mr. Brown and Steve Law IV obtained cocaine and heroin from New Jersey suppliers and distributed it in the Pittsburgh region, particularly in Washington County.
Source: 21 indicted in local cocaine, heroin ring supplied from N.J. | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
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Uniontown woman sentenced to federal prison for embezzling nearly $1 million | Local News | heraldstandard.com
A Leckrone woman was sentenced to 28 months in federal prison for embezzling nearly $1 million from Grandview Medical Management in Uniontown.
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2 shot in Avalon; SWAT situation concludes | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Allegheny County police are investigating a shooting Thursday in Avalon that injured two men, one of them critically.
On Thursday, Avalon police responded to a report of a shooting at about 12:05 p.m. at the 500 block of Girard Avenue, according to a news release. Officers found a 23-year-old man suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. Police said he was taken to a hospital in critical condition.
County police Lt. Venerando Costa said another person, who Lt. Costa said was responsible for the shooting, was also shot and was taken to UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. Police said he is 17 years old and had an apparent grazing wound to his head; he was treated and released, police said.
Lt. Costa said a SWAT team was called to search a house in the nearby 600 block of California Avenue for a possible third person. The SWAT situation concluded at about 3:30 p.m., and Lt. Costa said early Thursday evening that there is not a third person involved in the incident.
Allegheny County homicide detectives were called to assist Avalon officers and learned both individuals were in a dispute over a handgun when the shooting occurred. Police said they have recovered the gun and that the investigation is ongoing.
Police said the county District Attorney’s Office will be consulted to determine if criminal charges will be filed against either the 23-year-old man or the 17-year-old.
Anyone with more information is asked to call the Allegheny County Police Tip line at 833-ALL-TIPS (833-255-8477). Callers can remain anonymous.
Source: 2 shot in Avalon; SWAT situation concludes | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
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Almost 7 pounds of suspected cocaine seized during Pa. Turnpike traffic stop in Hempfield | TribLIVE.com
Detroit man is being held in the Westmoreland County Prison after state police said they found almost seven pounds of suspected cocaine hidden in his car, according to court papers.
Kenneth Johnson, 36, is charged with two drug offenses.
A trooper was patrolling the Pennsylvania Turnpike Monday afternoon in Hempfield when a Toyota Camry changed lanes and failed to use a turn signal near mile marker 75, according to court papers. The car had two different Michigan registration plates, police said.
During a traffic stop, a warning was issued and the driver, identified as Johnson, permitted police to search the car. Troopers found a “large void” underneath the rear seat and the drugs were inside, according to court papers.
Johnson is being held in lieu of $75,000 bond. He did not have an attorney listed in online court records. A preliminary hearing is set for Nov. 24.
Cocaine availability increased from 2017 to 2018 in the Philadelphia Field Division area, which includes Southwestern Pennsylvania, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s 2019 National Drug Threat Assessment. Cocaine played a role in about 25% of drug overdose deaths in Westmoreland County in 2019, according to coroner statistics.
It’s the second time in less than a month that a large amount of drugs was found in a hidden compartment of a vehicle traveling on the Pennsylvania Turnpike through Westmoreland County. Two New York men were indicted after state police reported finding more than four pounds of fentanyl in their vehicle on Oct. 20 during a traffic stop in Mt. Pleasant Township. The pair told investigators they were headed to Pittsburgh.
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Monessen woman shot, flown to Pittsburgh hospital for treatment | TribLIVE.com
The shooting happened at about 9:30 p.m. near the intersection of Summit Avenue and Sixth Street.
The woman was in critical condition when she was taken to Allegheny General Hospital in the North Side. Her condition has been upgraded stable, officials said Wednesday morning.
The front yard of a home in the 600 block of Summit was cordoned off with police tape and a black SUV was towed from the scene, police said.
The woman was not identified and no information was available about what may have led to the shooting.
The incident is being investigated by Monessen police and Westmoreland County detectives.
Source: Monessen woman shot, flown to Pittsburgh hospital for treatment | TribLIVE.com
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WordPress Sites Face 3.5 Billion Cyber Attack Attempts A Day, New Data Shows | Tech Times
New data from website maintenance pioneer Glow shows that businesses using WordPress websites are regularly targeted by hackers, with a daily average of 3.5 billion attempts.
On behalf of Glow, Gemma Birbeck reports that the website maintenance platform gathered and collated data from September 1 to 30. It found a total of 52,589 suspicious logins across the small business sites subscribed to the maintenance app.
It equates to an average of 1,421 attempts for each site all through September, meaning that each WordPress website using Glow experiences around 47 hacking attempts every single day.
According to the WordCamp website, there are more than 75 million websites using the web hosting platform. Extrapolating the data brings WordPress’ total daily average hacking attempts to a staggering 3.5 billion.Also Read: WordPress World-Wide Hacking Spree Begins With The Plugin Bug that Uploads Malicious Files
Costly and Consistent Security Threats
A 2019 report from the Federation of Small Business (FSB) states that cyberattacks – including website hacks – on small businesses is estimated to be at £4.5 billion ($5.9 billion), with individual attacks costing around £1,300 ($1,700) each. Additionally, FSB reports that the most common strategy used is phishing – working to obtain sensitive information by pretending to be someone else, usually through emails or phone calls. Phishing alone is responsible for affecting 530,000 small businesses for the past two years prior to the report.
WebARX, a web application security platform, also conducted its independent study. It found that almost two in every three businesses (66 percent) who experienced cyberattacks expressed worries about ever recovering from their losses.
Adopting The Latest in Website Security
Phil Storey, a tech entrepreneur and website developer baked in Leeds, founded Glow – a platform to streamline website maintenance and keep them updated, secure, and efficient.
“Website maintenance has always been a difficult service to sell due to lack of understanding about its importance and perceived costs, and it’s often something people only explore once they become a victim of a website issue,” Storey said in a statement.
He explained that he developed Glow to change the status quo, educating people about the importance of website maintenance and protecting their businesses. “We’re already beginning to see changes in people’s views, however, there’s a long way to go and the time to act is now,” the Glow founder noted.
“Since COVID-19 first hit the UK in March, internet usage has increased, and this is something which hackers have taken advantage of. As small businesses across the world battle with the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s important now more than ever that they protect themselves from further financial crisis,” Storey added.
Source: WordPress Sites Face 3.5 Billion Cyber Attack Attempts A Day, New Data Shows | Tech Times
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One man arrested after shooting in Steubenville | WTOV
JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ohio — One man has been arrested after a shooting in Steubenville.
Officers ultimately responded to 508 Woodland Avenue for reports of shots fired, where man was found with a bullet in his hand.
Investigators found both rounds from a .22 caliber and a .9 mm hand gun.
William King Sr. was arrested and taken into custody overnight.
He is charged with felonious assault and is being held at the Jefferson County Justice Center.
Source: One man arrested after shooting in Steubenville | WTOV
