MONROE COUNTY, Pa. — Five people are now in custody in connection with a series of shootings in Monroe County Monday night.
Four gunshot victims were found at several different locations in the Tobyhanna area of Monroe County.
Five people have now been charged.
- A male, 16, from Tobyhanna, charged with attempted homicide, aggravated assault, simple assault, reckless endangerment, various weapons charges.
- Laron Watson, 22, a male from Tobyhanna, charged with attempted homicide, aggravated assault, simple assault, reckless endangerment, hindering apprehension, corruption of minors, various weapons charges.
- Jahlayah Blondell, 20, a female from Tobyhanna, charged with hindering apprehension.
- Aja Nay Watson, 19, a female from Tobyhanna, charged with attempted homicide, aggravated assault, hindering apprehension.
- Soladin Hamilton, 21, from Tobyhanna charged with attempted homicide, aggravated assault, simple assault, reckless endangerment, hindering apprehension, corruption of minors, weapons charges.
Pocono Mountain Regional Police believe two victims were shot at a home in A Pocono Country Place development.
One victim was shot in the head near the Tobyhanna Shopping center and found in a vehicle after a crash near Kings Way and Route 196.
A fourth victim was shot at a home in Pocono Farms East development and found at a vehicle crash scene near Cambell Drive and Kings Way.
"The professionalism and the expediency of our investigators is something that this community can be very proud of, that within less than 24 hours, we had these suspects in custody," said Pocono Mountain Regional Police Chief Chris Wagner.
Police say it all started as a case of mistaken identity. Around 5 p.m. Monday, a Volvo carrying all five suspects left A Pocono Country Place and saw a Mercedes leaving the development as well. The group in the Volvo mistook a person in the Mercedes as someone they have an issue with and opened fire.
The vehicles chased each other to the Tobyhanna Shopping Plaza in Coolbaugh Township, and more gunfire from both vehicles was exchanged.
A man in the Volvo named Courtney Newman was shot in the head. Newman was later picked up by police in a car outside a business along Route 196.
Not long after that, police were called to A Pocono Country Place, where they found a mother and son had been shot and wounded. Multiple bullet holes are visible at the house. Police say the pair had nothing to do with the shooting spree. The shooters mistakenly fired at their house, and the two were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
A fourth victim was discovered after a crash at the intersection of Kings Way and Campbell Drive in Coolbaugh Township. Police say the victim there was also mistaken for someone else. He was shot in the leg.
Neighbors say the whole situation is unsettling.
They had the roads blocked off over here and stuff. I mean, I had my kids here, and they were real scared. I couldn't even get out of here last night. They had to the roads blocked," Christopher Carty said.
Police say three victims are in stable condition while another remains in critical condition.
The suspects were virtually arraigned Tuesday afternoon and are locked up in the Monroe County Jail.