Johnstown police say a 15-year-old is now at the center of a homicide case that has rattled a Somerset Street block, with the teen charged as an adult in the fatal shooting of a local man.
Authorities have identified the suspect as Andre Blackwell-Simms and the victim as Frederick Myers. Investigators say Blackwell-Simms was arrested after a brief foot chase and is being held in jail without bail.
According to a Cambria County District Attorney’s news release cited by CBS Pittsburgh, officers were called to Somerset Street on the morning of May 14 and found Myers suffering from a gunshot wound. He was later pronounced dead.
Local Reporting Fills In Details
Local television coverage has added a few grim details that were not included in the DA’s brief statement. Myers was reported to be in his 30s and to have been shot in the chest, according to WTAJ. Investigators are still working to piece together exactly what led up to the shooting and who else might have seen or recorded it.
Police are continuing to canvass the neighborhood and are particularly interested in any security or doorbell camera footage that may show activity on or around Somerset Street around the time Myers was shot, WTAJ reported.
Charges And Court Schedule
Prosecutors have filed a long list of charges against Blackwell-Simms. He is accused of criminal homicide, aggravated assault, firearms not to be carried without a license, possession of a firearm by a minor, recklessly endangering another person, and terroristic threats, according to CBS Pittsburgh.
Online court records show that Blackwell-Simms was formally arraigned on Monday. A judge ordered that he be held without bail, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for later this month.
How To Help
Authorities say this case is still very much active, and they are leaning on the community for help. Anyone who saw or heard anything in the area that morning, or who has relevant video, is urged to contact Johnstown police at 814-472-2100. Investigators and prosecutors have publicly called for residents to come forward with tips and footage that might help fill in the gaps, as reported by WTAJ.
