Aug 22, 2008 By Josh Krysak 3 min read

Uniontown police are investigating another shooting incident in the city following a gun battle Wednesday afternoon. Police Sgt. Jonathan Grabiak said no one was injured in the shooting, which occurred around 4:30 p.m. He said that is when Christine Middleton and an unidentified man were talking in a car in the parking lot of the Pershing Court housing complex.

Grabiak said that as they were talking, a brown Ford Bronco allegedly entered the housing complex from Main Street and someone in the vehicle started firing rounds at the vehicle Middleton and the man were sitting in.

The man then allegedly got out of the car and started to run toward Dunlap Street but fell, Grabiak said, adding that the man then allegedly pulled his own weapon and started to return fire at the vehicle.

When police responded to the scene, officers quickly cordoned off the entrance to Pershing Court and canvassed the area for suspects.

Grabiak said police found five shell casings and one spent round in and around the playground area of the housing complex.

Police took one man into custody a short time after the shooting on Connellsville Street who was questioned and released.

The shooting incident is the ninth in Uniontown in the last eight weeks.

Most recently, a 17-year-old Pittsburgh boy was shot in the abdomen Aug. 14.

Police Officer Thomas E. Kolencik said that police have identified a potential suspect in the shooting.

According to Kolencik, the shooting occurred around 7:20 p.m. at a location on Millview Street.

Kolencik said the incident began as a group of five to seven people was involved in an altercation.

He said that gunfire was exchanged between the two groups. During the shooting, the suspect allegedly stood over the victim, who had fallen, and fired two rounds, one striking him in the abdomen.

On Aug. 6 police reported two incidents involving shots fired after a residence on Searight Avenue sustained damage from gunfire and another shooting also was reported.

Sgt. Fred Balsley said police responded to the home of Darlene Curry around 8:45 a.m. after Curry reported that she heard six loud bangs coming from the front of her home around 4:15 a.m.

Curry told police that she initially thought the bangs were firecrackers but noted that after hearing the bangs, she heard a car driving away from her home.

When she went outside Wednesday morning, Curry told police that she found a bullet had been fired through her front door.

He noted that three other bullets also struck the house with one of the slugs entering the second floor of the home.

Just 15 minutes before Curry was roused by the gunshots, police received a report of shots fired on Coolspring Street.

Police said they discovered 14 shell casings from a 9-mm Luger handgun at the scene.

More than 70 bullets have been fired in the nine incidents beginning on June 24.

Police Detective Donald M. Gmitter said police are actively pursuing all leads in each of the shootings and said that area residents should be aware that police do not believe the shooting incidents to be random.

Anyone with information regarding any of the shootings can call police at 724-430-2929.

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