Donora man charged with attempted homicide
MONESSEN – A Donora man is accused of shooting a man in Monessen and then inviting a witness to a video chat in which he allegedly apologized and asked about her home security cameras because of concerns police would view the footage.
Police plan to apply for a search warrant to view the suspect’s Facebook activity and also filed a charge of attempted homicide against him Friday in the shooting of Juwan Mull about 11:50 p.m. Thursday in the 900 block of Locust Street, court records show.
The suspect, Dwight Allen Moore Jr., 20, of 464 Fourth St., also faces charges of aggravated assault, carrying a firearm without a license, possession of an instrument of a crime and reckless endangerment.
The investigation began when police were sent by Westmoreland County 911 to the wrong area to investigate a complaint about the sound of five or six gunshots. A witness then waved for police and told an officer where to find the shooting scene.
Investigators found six freshly spent shell casings from a .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun on the street, sidewalk and in the driveway at a house in the 900 block of Locust.
Police then received a 911 dispatch about 12:30 a.m. Friday to Mon Valley Hospital after Mull went to the emergency room with a gunshot wound to the lower back, an officer stated in the affidavit supporting the criminal charges in the case.
Mull told police he was walking along Locust when he heard gunshots ring out behind him, the affidavit states. The last shot that was fired from the gun reportedly struck him. He said he looked back but was unable to see the gunman, the record indicates.
Police said Mull was panic-stricken and began to run until he found someone to drive him to the hospital in Carroll Township.
Mull was told by police the shooting appeared to have been a “targeted attack,” and an officer asked him if he knew of anyone who wanted to harm him.
Mull then reportedly admitted to the officer Moore had recently engaged him in “trash talking” and threats on social media and in person. The shooting victim did not say why the two had animosity for each other.
Police returned to Monessen, where they talked to the witness, who said she was on her front porch and talking on her phone during the shooting. Someone on her porch would have had an unobstructed view of the shooting scene, police said.
Police said the witness saw Moore shoot a weapon. Moore allegedly got in a silver car after the shooting and drove at a high speed toward Ninth Street, the record shows.
Minutes after the shooting, Moore allegedly contacted a girl who lives in the area on Facebook Messenger and asked her if she heard the shots, police claimed in the affidavit. He later spoke through the messaging app to the witness, and offered an apology before asking about her surveillance cameras, police said.
Moore’s Facebook profile bears his name and photograph, police added.
District Judge Joseph Dalfonso signed a warrant Friday for Moore’s arrest.