Ithaca Police are searching for a person who allegedly fired several gunshots and then nearly hit a pedestrian while making an escape in a black SUV Saturday evening.
At approximately 8:45 p.m., Tompkins County 911 received calls saying several shots were fired in the area between Wood Street and South Plain Street. Although police arrived within minutes of receiving the call, they found neither the alleged shooter nor victims with gunshot wounds at the scene, according to a press release from the Ithaca Police Department.
Several witnesses in the area told police they saw two vehicles, a black SUV and a silver Toyota or Audi, stopped in the 300 block of Wood Street. A person standing outside of the black SUV fired several shots before the silver vehicle immediately reversed and fled east, nearly striking a pedestrian in the process, according to the IPD. The shooter then got into the black SUV, fleeing west.
The black SUV was last seen turning north onto South Meadow Street.
The pedestrian twisted an ankle while trying to evade the vehicle but declined medical treatment. As of Saturday evening, local hospitals had not reported treating any victims with gunshot wounds, according to the IPD.
Police believe a small caliber handgun was used to fire the shots, and they are investigating the possibility that the silver vehicle was struck by gunfire during the incident.
Akane Otani is The Sun’s managing editor. She can be reached at [email protected] or followed on Twitter at twitter.com/akaneotani.
Original Author: Akane Otani