2 killed, 1 hurt
in 2 shootings
WILKES-BARRE - Gunfire killed two men and critically wounded a third in a pair of shootings within 10 hours Thursday that rocked the city and sent detectives searching for the shooters.
Police said a gunman fatally shot Leroy Smith, 42, and critically wounded Jamel Martin, 20, while firing off a flurry of bullets outside Don Kasper's Watering Hole at 129 Scott St. around 2:30 a.m. Mr. Martin later died at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center, a hospital spokesman said.
Then, just minutes after noon, a man suffered a gunshot wound to the stomach outside Alan Grocery and Deli at 245 Coal St., collapsing at the front entrance of the business. The man, whose identity was not released, remained in critical condition Thursday night at a local trauma unit but is expected to survive, authorities said.
While authorities released few details about the shootings, they were quick to point out the crimes were isolated incidents between people who knew each other. Although the shootings occurred less than a half-mile apart, authorities say they have no indication that they were connected.
"Honestly, it's a sad day. Everybody is working very hard to find these shooters," Luzerne County District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis said.
The bloody day began around 2:30 a.m. when a Wilkes-Barre patrol officer heard gunshots and responded to the 100 block of Scott Street and found two victims.
Mr. Smith was fatally shot. His body was on a sidewalk outside the bar and was later covered by a white sheet. Luzerne County acting Coroner William Lisman pronounced him dead at the scene at 4:15 a.m.
Mr. Martin was found wounded and taken to Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center in Plains Twp., where he was later pronounced dead, hospital spokesman Tom Gibbon said.
Neighbors in the area reported hearing at least six gunshots and investigators were spotted recovering multiple spent shells from the scene.
Hours after the morning shooting, police got a call for a shooting outside the deli on Coal Street at around 12:15 p.m. Authorities were seen treating a male on the front porch of the business before loading him on a stretcher and into an ambulance. Police repeatedly asked the man, "How old are you?" and other questions. After ambulance crews took him to Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center, police searched the surrounding area for shell casings, digging through snow. One of the officers was overheard saying, "He said it looked like a small caliber. Maybe a .22."
SARAH SCINTO, staff writer, contributed to this report.
Contact the writer: bkalinowski@citizensvoice.com, @cvbobkal