YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – Police have issued an arrest warrant for a man they think is involved in Sunday morning’s triple homicide on Youngstown’s north side.
Robert Shelton, 44, is wanted on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and murder in connection to the deadly shooting that also left two other people hurt at Brothers of Power Classic Cars.
Police Chief Robin Lees said in a press conference Monday that officers who responded to the area of Logan and Tacoma avenues got there around 3:45 a.m., within a minute of being called. He said they saw a woman who was hurt on the hood of a car.
Lees said they also saw Shelton shoot 34-year-old Dymond Ortello, then throw a gun under a car.
“A man about 30 to 40 feet away with a gun in hand approached Dymond Ortello and fired several shots.”
Ortello was celebrating his birthday, which was the day before.
“This is pretty much a cold-blooded killing,” Lees said.
On the 911 recordings, one officer could be heard yelling that he saw a man with a gun and the man fired the gun.
Shelton was able to run to a nearby gas station and escape. Lees said the crowd was so thick, the officers lost him.
“Ultimately, he was lost in the situation, which, again, was very chaotic and fast-moving.”
Two other people — innocent bystanders — were also shot. They’ll be OK but Mayor Tito Brown is not OK with the gun violence plaguing his city.
WATCH: Youngstown mayor speaks out about triple homicide, plan to prevent violence in the city
Lees said it seems like the two other people killed — Daniel Ortello, 31, and Charles Pullen, 37 — shot at each other inside the bar after a confrontation.
Police did not find guns in the bar but they did find shell casings.
Lees said it is common for witnesses to remove evidence, like guns, before officers get there. He said investigators are still looking for witnesses who can tell them more about what happened inside the bar.
Someone took Daniel Ortello to the hospital, where he later died.
Shelton has a criminal history that dates back to 1998. In 2006, he was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison on drug charges.
Lees and Law Director Jeff Limbian warned that anyone hiding Shelton or allowing him to stay with them would be dealt with harshly. Limbian said someone who is harboring Shelton could be charged with complicity to murder, which carries the same sentence as a murder conviction does.
Mayor Tito Brown said there are people who know what happened and he urged them to tell police or even tell him. He said he needs the public’s help to stop the violence in the city.
“We need the community to stand up and speak up,” Lees said. “If we want the violence to stop, we need your help.”
The Brothers of Power Classic Car Club caught fire last week. Arson investigators say that fire was intentionally set but they have not linked the shooting to the fire.
Brown and others also said they are worried about people who may have suffered violence before or who are mourning the victims and are traumatized. They are encouraged to call the Help Network of Northeast Ohio at 330-747-2696 if they need someone to talk to.
