17-year-old charged in Canonsburg shooting
A 17-year-old student at Canon-McMillan High School was arrested Tuesday by Canonsburg police on charges including attempted homicide and aggravated assault in the April 19 shooting outside a convenience store on Euclid Avenue that injured two men.
Alonzo Henry Griffin Jr., 17, who is from McKeesport but lives with his grandparents in the borough’s East End, is accused of shooting Jacob Kolick, 19, and Emil Bajoric, 18, both of Bethel Park, outside the Gas N Go in what police say was an apparent drug deal that went wrong. He was taken into custody without incident at the school Tuesday by Canonsburg police, with assistance from North Strabane Township police.
Kolick and Bajoric were reportedly two of four men who came to Canonsburg that night to sell marijuana, said police Chief Al Coghill. The chief believes one of the four set up the buy, one had the drug and the others were conspirators.
The four were still in a vehicle at the store when police arrived. Kolick had a gunshot wound to the back. Bajoric had a gunshot wound to the leg. A witness told police she saw one of the occupants of the vehicle throw something behind a dumpster. Police said they found a sandwich bag of suspected marijuana and a .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun in that area.
One of the occupants of the car told police Kolick had picked him up earlier that night. Bajoric and the other men already were in the car. Police said arrangements were made to sell marijuana, and the four went to the area of the Franklin Avenue playground, parking across the street.
A man dressed in dark clothing, later identified by police as Griffin, approached the car. When one of the four asked to see the money, Griffin allegedly pulled out the gun. Griffin ejected the magazine from the gun, put it back in the gun and racked the slide, police said in court documents.
Griffin allegedly told them, “I ain’t playing.” There was a struggle over the gun before two shots were fired, police said.
“This was some exemplary police work,” Coghill said of the work by investigators. “We started that night with nothing but two victims. Within six hours, we had the suspected shooter identified.
“We did a lot of investigative work to shore up the case and make sure the identity was correct,” the chief added. “We wanted to get the shooter off the street for the community.”
Mayor David Rhome said he is disappointed in the behavior of the young people involved in the incident.
“We won’t tolerate this behavior,” Rhome said. “I am so proud of the police department and that an arrest was made quickly.
“People in this community have also expressed concern over these individuals involved in this incident,” Rhome added. “They are pleased an arrest has been made.”
When District Judge David Mark asked Griffin during his arraignment if he understood the charges he faced, the 17-year-old responded, “Yes, sir.”
Griffin also is charged with attempted robbery, carrying a firearm without a license, possession of a firearm by a minor, simple assault and reckless endangerment. He was placed in Washington County jail on $500,000 bond. Griffin is scheduled for a May 22 preliminary hearing before Mark.
Coghill said the department is still investigating the drug aspect of the incident.