A drug deal went bad and turned into a shooting during Saturday afternoon, Butler police said.

The alleged shooter, a Lawrence County teenager already on probation for selling marijuana in Butler last year, was arrested a short time later but two others got away and are being hunted by police.

At least two shots were fired on or near McClain Avenue. However, police do not know if either of the other males were hit and possibly injured.

Brandon K. Fairtrace, 19, of New Castle, who is charged with five felonies, is free on $20,000 bail.

Reports of a man firing a gun in the 200 block of McClain Avenue shortly after 3:35 p.m. sent police rushing to investigate. The alleged gunman was reportedly running toward Father Marinaro Park, police said.

Patrolman Anthony Fatta spotted and stopped the suspect, identified as Fairtrace, at East Jefferson and South Monroe streets.

He told police he “didn't mean to do it” when asked if he was involved in the shooting, according to a police affidavit.

Fairtrace admitted he had hidden the gun nearby in the area of the railroad tracks north of McClain Avenue.

Police recovered the .380-caliber semi-automatic Hi-Point pistol, which had one round in the chamber and two in the magazine clip, court documents said.

Fairtrace was later interviewed and provided police with his account of the shooting and what led up to it.

He claimed two black males in a black sport utility vehicle picked him up in the area of East Locust Street.

“Once he was inside of the vehicle a discussion began about Fairtrace selling one of the black males a quarter pound of marijuana,” court documents said.

They drove to the 200 block of McClain Avenue and parked. One of the other males got out of the vehicle and went to the trunk to retrieve a scale, presumably to weigh the marijuana that Fairtrace had in his backpack.

Fairtrace recounted he grew nervous and got out, prompting a fight with one of the other males, documents said.

That unknown suspect snatched Fairtrace's backpack and ran down the street.

“Fairtrace then pulled a firearm from his waistband and fired one shot into the air toward a house,” the police affidavit said.

Fairtrace told police he chased after the other male and fired another shot in Rockaway Avenue, one street north of McClain Avenue.

Both black males got away. Police said they believe their Saturn SUV possibly has a bullet hole or holes in the driver's side or rear end.

Fatta searched the area where Fairtrace recounted he had fired the gun, and recovered two casings — one on McClain Avenue and the other on Rockaway Avenue.

Police also found a live round near the casing on Rockaway Avenue.

Police suspect Fairtrace accidentally expended the bullet when the pistol malfunctioned as he was shooting it.

The recovered casings and bullet matched the ammunition that was in the pistol and clip, police said.

District Judge Wayne Seibel arraigned Fairtrace on charges of aggravated assault, illegal possession of a firearm, carrying a firearm without a permit and conspiracy to commit a crime.

This is not Fairtrace's first brush with the law.

Butler police arrested him for suspected drug dealing at a West New Castle Street home on Feb. 1, 2013. Investigators said they caught the defendant with six bags of marijuana and a digital scale.

He was charged with felony and misdemeanor drug possession. Four months later, court records showed, he was placed in the county's Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program and ordered to serve two years of county probation.

ARD is a common placement for first-time offenders charged with most non-violent crimes and does not include jail time.

Those placed into the program do not admit guilt, but must adhere to requirements set by a judge. Defendants who complete their probationary period in the program have their records expunged.