New York man in custody after city shooting

Francis Scarcella, The Daily Item, Sunbury, Pa.
·3 min read

May 4—SUNBURY — A New York man faces charges of recklessly endangering another person after a shooting in Sunbury on Monday night closed down portions of Susquehanna Avenue.

Justin Santiago, 24, of Brooklyn, New York, was arrested and charged with misdemeanor recklessly endangering and criminal mischief. Sunbury Police Sgt. Travis Bremigen said more charges are forthcoming from the incident that drew police from several departments to Sunbury.

Bremigen said police were dispatched to the 1100 block of Susquehanna Avenue at around 8 p.m. for reports of shots fired.

When officers arrived they spoke to a witness who said he observed several individuals engaged in a verbal dispute and the argument continued to get louder and louder, according to police. The witness told officers that the last thing he heard was "do something about it," and then he heard shots being fired and he called 911, police said.

A second witness told officers she looked outside her window and saw a man holding a handgun pointed at the ground near Joseph Avenue, police reported.

The woman told police she heard gunshots and saw people fleeing toward Fort Augusta Avenue, police said. The woman said a vehicle in front of her property was struck by a bullet, police said.

A third witness told police he heard something strike his house and when he looked he found a bullet hole on the siding, police said.

Bremigen said several officers from the police department then arrived on scene and a two-block area on Susquehanna Avenue, was closed down as the investigation began.

Officers reviewed video surveillance footage from various homes while police and state police began to collect evidence. An additional witness told officers that after shots were fired he observed males running between two houses in the 1100 block of Susquehanna Avenue, according to police.

Bremigen said officers discovered a handgun under a porch.

Two hours into the investigation, Bremigen said he received a call at 10:15 p.m. that a male was at the police station and wanted to turn himself in for the incident.

When Bremigen arrived he spoke with Santiago who said his relative was being threatened while Santiago was at his house. An argument took place and that a male he was arguing with went to a black van and retrieved a handgun, police said

Santiago told officers he had his weapon on himself and when the other man began to walk toward him with a gun he feared for his life and pulled his own weapon and fired two rounds at the male, police said.

Santiago said he then fled the scene and ran between two buildings and threw the handgun under a porch, police said.

Bremigen said the investigation is ongoing and police expect more people to be charged in the incident. Bremigen said the public is not in danger.

Santiago is incarcerated at the Northumberland County Jail where he is awaiting arraignment in front of Sunbury District Judge Mike Toomey.

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