New details emerge in Friday’s shooting at a party in Williamsport
								Zaire Jones-Wallace PHOTO PROVIDED
Friday’s late-night shooting at a party inside a home in the 800 block Park Ave originated from an argument between the alleged gunman, Zaire Jones-Wallace, and a former girlfriend, it was stated in a city police affidavit.
A teenage boy was critically injured in the shooting, but recovering, police said.
The ex-girlfriend was attending the party that was being hosted by a 15-year-old boy, who ended up suffering critical injuries in the shooting that took place about 11:20 p.m., police said. The shooting was recorded on video.
The female told police that when her former boyfriend, Jones-Wallace, 25, showed up at the party, the two began to argue. This prompted the female “to approach the host and “ask him to make Jones-Wallace leave,” it was stated in the court document.
As Jones-Wallace was leaving the party, the ex-girlfriend “kicked him in the back. Jones-Wallace turned and attempted to punch the female, but missed,” police were told.
Several other partygoers “intervened and began fighting with Jones-Wallace. “During the altercation, Jones discharged his firearm,” it was stated in the affidavit.
Police obtained a video taken at the party that showed Jones-Wallace and the 15-year-old boy, the host, “standing in the middle of a large group actively fighting,” an officer wrote in the affidavit
The teen is seen “using his left hand to hold Jones’ hair (as he) punched Jones-Wallace in the head and shoulder with his right hand,” the court document stated.
The video shows Jones Wallace “putting his left hand up to push the teen back and then pointing his right hand towards the teen as he fires two shots into the teen’s chest,” an officer wrote in the document.
“The group begins to panic and Jones-Wallace appears to flee,” police said.
When offices arrived on the scene, they were directed to the second-floor, where they found the gravely-wounded teenager in a bedroom, police said.
“The officers began (to perform) life-saving measures” on the boy, who was rushed to UPMC Williamsport for medical treatment.
While police were investigating this shooting, they were dispatched to a second one on First Avenue, about a block away, at 12:10 a.m Saturday . This one claimed the life of another 15-year-old boy, who was found lying in the middle of the street, where he had collapsed, police said.
This second teen was rushed to UPMC Williamsport, where he died in the operating room, according to Lycoming County Coroner Charles E. Kiessling Jr.
The teen’s identity has not yet been released by authorities. An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday.
Police have not said if they believed the shootings were at all related. No one has been charged with the second shooting.
Jones-Wallace, of 1641 Taylor Place, turned himself in at police headquarters hours after the first shooting; after a warrant had been filed for his arrest.
He has been charged with attempted homicide, aggravated and simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and possession of an instrument of crime.
“The defendant (allegedly) did shoot the victim twice in the chest, causing life-threatening injuries,” police said.
When police brought Jones-Wallace before Judge Denise Dieter for his arraignment at 6:40 a.m. Saturday, officers told her that he agreed to turn himself in hours earlier, but did not until after a warrant for his arrest was filed.
When the judge asked him why it took him so long to surrender, Jones-Wallace told her that he had gone to the hospital to get an MRI and get treated for “a bad concussion.” He told her “I won’t run away.”
Dieter denied him bail, and he was automatically committed to the Lycoming County Prison.
Jason Bolt, the city’s assistant police chief, had no comment Monday afternoon when asked if investigators could substantiate Jones-Wallace’s claim that he he sought medical treatment after leaving the party.
