COOLBAUGH TOWNSHIP — A series of shootings in a community in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains that left four people wounded led to charges against five people, authorities said.
The shootings occurred Monday night in different areas of Coolbaugh Township, and authorities said some of the people injured apparently were victims of mistaken identity. All four victims remain hospitalized in stable condition.
“We do not feel that the community is in any further danger, and we believe that we have all the suspects in custody at this time,” Pocono Mountain Regional Police Chief Chris Wagner said during a news conference Tuesday. Authorities had issued a shelter-in-place order order after the shootings occurred, a directive that remained in effect for several hours.
Two men, two women and a 16-year-old boy — all from Tobyhanna — were charged in the shootings, though authorities have not said what sparked the violence.
Laron Watson, 22; Solidin Hamilton, 21; Aja Nay Watson, 19, and the teen, all face numerous counts, including attempted homicide and aggravated assault. Jahlayah Blondell, 20, was charged with hindering apprehension.
The first two victims found Monday night were shot at a home, but authorities believe they were not the intended targets. A 47-year-old woman was shot in the back, while a 19-year-old man was wounded in the arm. Minutes before that shooting occurred, police had responded to a report of shots fired at a vehicle in Coolbaugh.
While police investigated those shootings, authorities received several 911 calls about shots fired in the township. Officers soon found a wounded 20-year-old man in a vehicle who apparently had been shot in the head, while the fourth victim was found a short time later following a crash. That person apparently had been shot in the leg at a nearby home, authorities said.
