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EYEWITNESS LOCAL NEWS
SHOOTING INVESTIGATION UPDATEfrom Eyewitness News Online Police Seek Help In Seeking Second Suspect In West Side Shooting Reported by: Videographer: Matt Durrett/Bill Oldani Web Producer: Leslie Rubin Reported: Mar. 11, 2013 5:39 PM EDT Updated: Mar. 15, 2013 1:36 AM EDT
Charleston
, Kanawha County
, West Virginia
An intense manhunt was underway Thursday for a man who police say is armed and extremely dangerous. Police have been searching for John Paul Clements since they got a warrant for him on Wednesday. They believe he's one of the men behind the 60 shots fired on the West Side of Charleston this weekend. Clements is six feet tall and weighs about 250 pounds. Clements is facing charges of wanton endangerment, malicious wounding and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Police said they have surveillance video that shows Clements and Robert Jared Smith shooting the victims on Washington Street over the weekend. Smith was arrested on Monday, along with the victim, Andre Williamson. It's a web of violence that police believe has all stemmed from the October murder of David Booker on Milton Street. Williamson has been charged with accessory for that murder, and it's believed Smith and Clements were targeting him, but a bystander was also shot. Anyone with information on Clements is urged to contact Charleston police. Police are asking for the public’s help in finding a second suspect in a shooting that occurred March 9 on the West Side of Charleston. Jon Paul Clements is being sought in connection with the shooting that happened about 3:30 a.m. in the 1600 block of Washington Street West, Lt. Steve Cooper of the Charleston Police Department said. Cooper said Clements is 6 feet and 250 pounds. Robert Jared Smith already was charged in connection with that shooting in which police said more than 60 bullets were fired from three different caliber firearms. Cierra Leftwich was shot in the lower left leg and Andre “A3” Williamson was shot in the upper left leg. During the investigation, police said it was discovered that a number of people were patronizing a Korean restaurant located at 1613 Washington St. W. The initial investigation discovered that two victims were shot in their legs while outside of the restaurant. Police said Leftwich could not identify the person who had shot her, indicating that she was uninvolved with the incident. The second victim, Williamson, stated that as he was approaching the front door of the Korean restaurant when he was fired upon by Smith, police said. Video was obtained from local businesses that showed the incident. Police said the video shows Smith and Clements firing handguns towards the two victims. This action provoked numerous other gunfire from other individuals within the immediate vicinity. Police said the incident is believed to be in retaliation for a shooting incident that occurred on Capitol Street Sept. 22 as well as the murder of David Booker on the East End of Charleston on Oct. 11. During the Booker homicide investigation, detectives made contact with Clements who was friends with Booker. When a detective asked Clements if he knew who killed Booker, police said, Clements responded by saying, "You better find them before I do." A man accused in a West Side shootout is behind bars, and his victim is now facing charges in connection with an East End murder. Two people were shot during the shootout on along Washington Street early Saturday morning. One of the victims, Andre Williamson also known as "A3," was arrested on Monday and charged with accessory after the fact in connection with an the murder of David Booker. Late Monday night, police also arrested Robert Smith also known as "J-Dog" for allegedly shooting Williamson apparently in retaliation for Booker's murder. Another bystander was also shot. Smith is charged with malicious wounding, wanton endangerment and being a felon in possession of a firearm. "The fact that a bystander was hit, the fact that businesses were damaged, and that it was in a public area. So many shots were fired in such a reckless manner, just by thugs, it really makes this crime a very serious crime," said Lt. Steve Cooper. Smith is no stranger to police. In 1999, he was arrested during a large scale drug conspiracy investigation conducted by the Charleston Street Crimes Unit. He was a part of the so-called "City Park Gangsters" and sentenced to life in prison on drug charges but later had his sentenced reduced and had recently been freed under supervised released. Booker was found murdered along Milton Street in October. Richard Hilliard recently pleaded guilty to the murder but as part of his plea, implicated he wasn't the only one responsible. Hilliard told police Williamson was also there, and had robbed Booker of his cell phone, and threw it off the 35th Street bridge in an effort to destroy evidence. Hilliard also claimed Williamson cleaned off Booker's blood that had splattered on the back of a vehicle with bleach. After cleaning the car, Hilliard allegedly took two fired shell casings to the Williamson. Williamson then allegedly disposed them as to "hinder the homicide investigation," according to the criminal complaint. It was this information that police believed led Smith to shoot Williamson on Saturday. Williamson told police Smith was the man who shot him, but with more than 60 shots fired from three different guns, police say there could be other arrests. The suspected gunman in a weekend shooting turned himself in, Monday night. Robert Jared Smith is charged with malicious wounding, wanton endangerment and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Police say Smith opened fire at 1613 Washington Street West in front of a Korean restaurant, shooting two people. One of the victims, Cierra Leftwich, was shot in the leg. The other victim is Andre "A3" Williamson, who was shot in the thigh. Police say the gunfire triggered others in the other to open fire as well, causing more than 60 shots to be fired from three different weapons. This incident is believed to be in retaliation for a shooting incident that occurred in the unit block of Capitol Street in September, as well as the murder of David Booker on the East End of Charleston in October. Police escorted Williamson from the hospital Monday afternoon and charged with accessory to murder for the death of David Booker. MORE NEWS FROM EYEWITNESS NEWS
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