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Teen fight leads to shooting

Adam Rodgers
No one injured in Cherry Twp.

CHERRY TWP — An incident that apparently started as a fight between two teens Thursday afternoon led to one of them pulling a gun and firing on the other, authorities said.

State police later arrested the alleged shooter, Adam J. Rodgers, 19, of Donegal Township, and two other teens who were with him on New Hope Road in Cherry Township.

No one was injured, including the victim, a 19-year-old man, but all three suspects are charged with attempted homicide and aggravated assault.

Charged along with Rodgers are Henry A. Leroy, 19, of East Brady, Clarion County; and Tyler A. Martin, 17, of Worth Township. They were placed in the Butler County Prison following arraignment Friday by on-call District Judge Wayne Seibel.

Initially, bond for Rodgers was set at $100,000, and for each of the others it was $10,000.

But District Judge Lewis Stoughton, whose court has jurisdiction for Cherry Township, later modified all of the bonds Friday after consulting with Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger.

Rodgers' bond was upped to $500,000, and Leroy and Martin had their bonds raised to $100,000 each. The move, Stoughton said, was made for “public safety reasons.”

Police were called around 1:30 p.m. to the victim's home on the 300 block of New Hope Road for a reported shooting. The victim identified Rodgers as his ex-girlfriend's boyfriend — and the shooter, according to charging documents.

He recounted being called a derogatory name in a social media message Rodgers sent him that morning, police said. He said Rodgers challenged him to a fight.

By Facebook Messenger, the two allegedly agreed to a fistfight, documents said. They subsequently walked toward each other on the street near the victim's home. The victim said Rodgers was calling him names.

According to the victim's account, as the two men approached, “Rodgers produced a black handgun from his right pants pocket.”

The victim told investigators he retreated. But, he continued, “Rodgers began to fire the gun at him,” documents said. He related that the defendant screamed “for someone to bring up the car.”

Police later identified the vehicle as a Dodge Caravan that they believe Martin was driving. Leroy, they suspect, was riding in the minivan.

The victim said he ran into the woods to get away.

“While he was retreating into the woods,” documents said, “someone was screaming at him when he heard additional gunfire.”

The minivan eventually left. Several neighbors on the road reported hearing gunfire and screaming, and one witness saw a Dodge Caravan speed away after the shooting.

While investigating at the scene, police said, troopers recovered four .380-caliber casings on the road.

Investigators later found Rodgers, who was taken into custody. Troopers tracked the minivan to a home on Haysville Road in Fairview Township, where they found Leroy and Martin.

Troopers interviewed Leroy and Martin at the barracks. Both told police, investigators said, that Rodgers had requested a ride to the Boyers area and they complied — with Martin behind the wheel and Leroy in the back seat.

Rodgers rode in the front passenger seat before he was dropped off.

“After they turned the van around,” documents said, referring to the accounts of Leroy and Martin, “gunshots were heard.”

Later, Rodgers “alerted them by voice and hand motions to pick him up,” documents said. “After picking Rodgers up, the victim was seen running on the road and into the woods.”

Rodgers allegedly “extended himself out the front passenger window and began to yell at (the victim),” documents said, “as Rodgers fired additional shots at him.”

Police said Leroy and Martin told them they drove to the home on Haysville Road, where the gun was disposed of, and Rodgers changed his clothes.

Preliminary hearings for the defendants are scheduled for Tuesday at Stoughton's office in Chicora.

Despite Martin's age, he is charged as an adult under the state's “direct file” law. But that could change.

The law requires that all teens ages 15 and older who are charged with specific offenses, such as attempted homicide and aggravated assault, and also meet other specific criteria, such as using a weapon, be charged in adult court.

But those like Martin — minors charged as adults — can petition a judge to have the case tried in juvenile court. The prosecution can oppose the petition, but the judge decides whether to grant the petition.

It was not immediately clear if any of the defendants have attorneys.

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