Children Safe, Suspects In Custody After New Castle Standoff
NEW CASTLE (KDKA) -- State police in Lawrence County say a standoff on Friday evening ended with two suspects being taken into custody in connection with a double shooting earlier this week.
State police say Jamal Mock, 23, and De'andre McQueen, 16, both of Detroit, Mich., are facing numerous charges including attempted homicide, robbery, aggravated assault and burglary.
According to state police, McQueen is being treated as an adult.
The two were arraigned overnight and their bail was set at $250,000.
Authorities say two children were inside when police surrounded the Pollock Avenue home on Friday afternoon. The standoff lasted about three hours, but eventually the suspects surrendered around 6:30 p.m. and the children were unharmed.
The children's grandmother waited hours while police surrounded the house with her grandchildren inside.
Police had the house under surveillance all afternoon because they say there were suspects from a double shooting, which happened near the corner of Smithfield Street and Sunny Avenue on Thursday. State police say the victims in that shooting were 17-, 18- and 20-years-old.
"Two victims were shot and then one victim was struck in the head with a pistol," said Lt. Douglas Humble, of the Pennsylvania State Police.
But when police surrounded the house, the mother of those children had gone outside to meet a school bus carrying her other two children, leaving her separated from the kids during the standoff.
"The mother went out to get the other two kids off the school bus, and then they locked her out and she couldn't go back in – the other two kids were still in there," said Shirley Booker, the children's grandmother.
"We're concerned for the children and we want to arrest these actors who have shot people the day before, so this is a high priority for us and it ended successfully," Lt. Humble said.
The suspects did eventually surrender, allowing the children trapped inside to return to their family unharmed.
"Thank God for the way that police handled it and nobody got hurt," Anita Lyles, the children's aunt, said. "Thank God that the young men surrendered and we got our grandbabies and nieces out of there."
Police say they believe the two men arrested may be related to the two children who were in the home.
RELATED LINKS:
Pennsylvania State Police
Police Investigate Lawrence Co. Double Shooting
More News from Lawrence County
