UPDATE 11 a.m.: Steven Vance, 35, of Albany, was identified as the suspect who fired shots near East State Street Wednesday morning.
Vance was charged with one count of discharging a weapon from a public roadway and two counts of tampering with evidence. All three charges are third-degree felonies, according to an Athens Police Department news release.
Vance is being held in the Southeast Ohio Regional Jail. There were no reported injuries or damage, according to the release.
Gunshots were heard on East State Street early Wednesday morning, and police have a male suspect in custody.
Athens Police Department Lt. Anthony Fish said police responded to reported “shots fired” near East State Street and Morris Avenue at about 12:20 a.m.
APD found five empty shell casings on East State Street, collected evidence and spoke to witnesses, according to an APD news release.
Police recovered a Hi-Point 9 mm handgun, which the suspect had hidden a few blocks away, according to the release. No injuries were reported.
Sabrina Reda, an Ohio University senior studying visual communication and an East State Street resident, said she heard the gunshots.
“I heard two sets of tires squealing and then five gunshots,” Reda said. “I called my neighbors, and they said they heard the same.”
The suspect, a 35-year-old Albany resident, was taken into custody at about 1:20 a.m. The suspect’s motive is unknown, and his name is being withheld pending further investigation, according to the release.
Reda added that police closed the street shortly after she heard the shots.
“The scene was pretty calm; most people stayed inside and were too afraid to come out,” she said. “They peeked through their blinds.”
—Kristin Salaky contributed to this article.
ml147009@ohiou.edu
