UTICA, NY – A late-night report of gunfire near a pedestrian bridge in Utica led to the arrest of a 49-year-old man after surveillance footage showed two individuals shooting at each other while a bystander sat nearby with his dog. The incident unfolded Thursday night and prompted a multi-agency effort to identify and locate one of the suspects.
Officers responded at approximately 10:10 p.m. to the area of Sunset Avenue and Warren Street, where they found evidence of gunfire. “Upon arrival, officers located two spent 9mm Luger shell casings on the sidewalk/bench area near the pedestrian bridge,” the Utica Police Department stated in its release.
Surveillance footage reveals exchange of gunfire
As investigators reviewed video from the area, they determined the shooting involved two individuals actively firing at one another before fleeing on foot. “Surveillance footage revealed that two individuals were discharging firearms at one another before both fled the scene on foot,” police said. The footage also showed a civilian dangerously close to the violence. “At the time of the incident, an uninvolved bystander was seated on a nearby park bench with his dog, and at least one shot was fired in his immediate direction,” according to the department.
The case was assigned to the department’s GIVE Unit, which worked with the Mohawk Valley Crime Analysis Center to identify a suspect using nearby surveillance images. “Through their investigation they located nearby surveillance footage which camera captured an image of one of the suspects,” police said.
Arrest made with help from federal task force
On Wednesday, investigators, along with the Utica Police Department Tactical Unit and the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force, arrested Lamont Brown, 49, of Utica. “The suspect, Lamont Brown age 49 of Utica was taken into custody without issue,” the department stated.
Brown was transported to police headquarters and charged with criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, criminal possession of a firearm, reckless endangerment in the first degree, and attempted assault in the first degree.
Police said the investigation remains active as authorities work to identify the second individual involved in the shooting.
Utica NY shooting, Sunset Avenue gunfire, Lamont Brown arrest, GIVE Unit investigation, Mohawk Valley Crime Analysis Center