Two men were arrested in connection with two unrelated shootings within an hour of each other early Saturday morning in Indiana Borough.
At a media conference Saturday afternoon, Indiana Borough Police chief William Sutton and District Attorney Patrick Dougherty said that two counts of attempted criminal homicide, and single counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault and reckless endangerment were filed against Thomas Stanko of Fort Campbell, Kentucky for the shooting at the intersection of 12th and Philadelphia Street that injured two people. The affidavit of probable cause stated that Stanko was walking with one of the victims on Philadelphia street when the two were approached by a group of three others. They engaged in a fight, and during the fight, Stanko allegedly fired five rounds, hitting his companion and one of the others involved in the fight. The two victims were treated at IRMC and released.
[dciframe]https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/314450064&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true,560,75,0,auto,border:1px solid blue;align:left;[/dciframe]
Pat_Dougherty comments
Jim Tyger lives where the first shooting took place and he said this was too close to home. He had a hard time explaining it to his children, but said he felt safe seeing how the officers on scene handled the investigation.
[dciframe]https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/314450512&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true,560,75,0,auto,border:1px solid blue;align:left;[/dciframe]
Jim_Tyger comments
Matthew McNevin of Indiana will face a single count of criminal homicide, a count of attempted criminal homicide, two counts of aggravated assault and reckless endangerment, and counts of carrying a firearm without a license and receiving stolen property for the second shooting in the 1200 block of Oakland Avenue at 1:39 AM on Saturday. Police chief William Sutton said while the first shooting may have been alcohol-fueled, he believes the second shooting was not. One of the victims in this shooting, Carlos Recalde, was sought by McNevin over an alleged theft from last week. After a fight, McNevin brandished his gun and shot at Recalde. Also hurt in that incident was a 20-year-old woman, who was taken to Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center.
[dciframe]https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/314450705&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true,560,75,0,auto,border:1px solid blue;align:left;[/dciframe]
Chief_William_Sutton comments
Police say they later found McNevin’s gun, and it is believed to be stolen. Recalde was eventually taken to UPMC Presbyterian in Pittsburgh where he died from his injuries. The 20-year-old woman was not identified, and she is still in critical condition.
Indiana County District Attorney Patrick Dougherty said that the incidents were handled professionally by all the police agencies involved, but this is still a tragic event that has impacted a lot of people, especially the families of the four victims. He said that most of the time, Indiana is a safe community, but when guns are introduced in a highly volatile situation, the consequences are devastating.
Both Stanko and McNevin are due for their preliminary hearings on April 10th. Right now both are in Indiana County Jail. Stanko faces $200,000 bail, while McNevin will not be eligible for bail as criminal homicide is a non-bailable offense.
