MAN SHOT ON MIDDLE AVE

Elyria – An Elyria man was shot on Middle Ave Saturday afternoon – this was the second time he has been shot in the same location this year.

Police first received calls that someone in a white Pontiac Sunfire in the area was shooting a gun. While Officers were searching the area they were advised that Alverno Howse Jr. was at Elyria Memorial Hospital reporting that he had been shot near Burger King on Broad Street.

While Officers responded to the area of Burger King another Officer went to interview Howse. The Officer reported that Howse was “confrontational and very uncooperative” and when asked what happened he stated that he had been shot while walking down Middle Ave near 13th Street. The Officer asked if he was sure reminding him that he had already told the ER staff that the shooting had occurred by Burger King at which time Howse began screaming at the Officer.

Howse stated that he was walking on Middle by the old school when he heard a loud bang and felt a pain in his arm. Howse began cursing at the Officer as he asked him if he felt the shooting was related to the last time he was shot in the same area on 5-5-2009. Howse said he didn’t know who shot him then either.

The Officer asked Howse if he was riding in the white Pontiac when he was shot – Howse again began yelling at the Officer stating again that he was walking along Middle Ave when he was shot. He said he began walking to the ER by himself. He said he had called a man known only as “JJ” from Detroit to meet him at the hospital and walk him in. When the Officer asked for JJ’s number Howse said he did not remember it. Then when the Officer asked Howse to look at his phone to get the number he screamed that he did not want to talk to the Police.

Friends and family of Howse showed up at the ER and all stated that they knew nothing about the shooting.

Other Officers searched the area of Middle Ave and 13th Street and found shell casings on the street.

Officers also found the white Pontiac Sunfire a block away from the ER in front of 116 Lincoln Street. Police discovered that the car was registered to Mr. Howse. An Officer observed a bullet hole in the back passenger side of the car. The path of the bullet traveled into the vehicle and through the right side of the driver’s seat and “would have clearly struck the driver in the right side or arm.”

Residents in the area told Police that they saw 5 black males exit the car and walked towards East River, then turned north towards the hospital. One of the residents advised that one of the males was mad and screaming about seeing a man “cocking” a gun and said he made a motion of pulling a slide on a gun. He said they were making comments about how they “all had guns.”

Officers advised Howse that his car had been located with a bullet hole in it and that it had been impounded. Howse insisted that he was not in the car and that he did not have a driver’s license to even drive the car.

Howse then admitted that he was driving east on 13th Street and turned north on Middle – he stated that he then heard a loud bang and felt stinging in his right arm, He said he then drove to the hospital alone and got out of the car alone.

The Officer advised Howse that he would investigate and charge the person who shot him if he would only cooperate. Howse refused and the Officer advised him that it would not be wise to be mad and retaliate. Howse’s father then stated that “Al isn’t mad, this was an accident.” The Officer advised the father the shooting was obviously not an accident and the father looked at his son and again reminded him that it was an accident.


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