Bob Strickley
PDT Content Manager
SCIOTOVILLE — A gun shot and sirens rang out Tuesday evening near the intersection of Harding Avenue and Winchester Street in Sciotoville. According to Portsmouth Police Chief Robert Ware, a suspect — who fled in his vehicle and was stopped shortly after the incident in Kentucky — fired a shot, striking a female passenger of the vehicle.
The female passenger, who was not identified, was transported to Southern Ohio Medical Center with wounds to one of her hands and to her face, according to witnesses. The suspect was identified by police as Scott Andrew Wilson of North Carolina.
“We don’t have any serious injuries here,” Ware said. “It is a superficial wound.”
A witness, who wished not to be named, was in the vehicle and said the suspect became irritable and displayed a handgun. The occupants of the vehicle, according to several witnesses, were visiting from out of state for a funeral.
“There was some kind of altercation in a vehicle here. A firearm was discharged,” Ware said. “The vehicle owner fled the scene. We have him stopped over in Kentucky. Now we are going over to find out what is going on in his side of the story.”
Wilson fled the scene in his vehicle and was stopped in Greenup County, Ky., on a traffic violation. As a result of the stop and a search, Greenup County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested Wilson and charged him with possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a control substance. Ware said that the Portsmouth Police Department will interview Wilson Wednesday morning and file charges based on what are deemed to be the proper charges.
The victim of the shooting was treated and released from Southern Ohio Medical Center, according to Ware.
Jeff Brant of Brant Funeral Services was concluding a viewing when he was alerted that a woman had been shot across the street.
“Two of my tenants came and got me and told me there was a girl that had been shot,” Brant said. “Everyone had left and I was in the lounge talking to the minister. I observed her and then went in to call Portsmouth Police and I told them I needed an ambulance, because there has been a shooting at my funeral home.”
Emergency personnel arrived shortly after Brant made the call.
“She was in the ambulance, under oxygen, and I checked on her to see if she was OK,” Brant said. “I told her that I recognized her and asked if she had been the one that got me a stepping stool and she said she was. I told her she would be OK and she said that she was just glad to be alive.”
Brant said that there were no disturbances during the viewing. He did not think the shooter was in the funeral home at any time, and was likely waiting in his vehicle. He also said the situation was handled quickly by his staff.
“My understanding is that there was a disagreement across the street at the Post Office between someone from the funeral home — who was a visitor here — and a gun was pulled and a female was shot,” Brant said. “The gentleman rapidly left and was apparently chased up Ohio River Road.”
Before leaving the scene of the shooting, Ware said the suspect had been stopped in Kentucky. According to Ware, more information would be available pending further investigation.
Bob Strickley can be reached at 353-3101, ext. 296, or bstrickley@civitasmedia.com. For breaking news, follow Bob on Twitter @rjstrickleyjr. Daily Times contributor Joseph Pratt contributed to this story.
Post a Comment
