LEHMAN TOWNSHIP, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — An 18-year-old has been charged after allegedly shooting another man during an argument at a Penn State off-campus apartment, police said.
According to the Lehman Township Police Department, state troopers, and local officers investigated a shooting that occurred Saturday, May 6, around 12:13 a.m. near the Penn State Wilkes-Barre college campus.
Police say they were dispatched to the Nittany Commons Apartments, a privately owned student housing center in Lehman Township for reports of a fight and a gunshot victim.
Through further investigation, detectives stated Zahiar Kevon Lee, 18, of Carbondale, showed up with five other men including the alleged victim, to attend a party at an off-campus apartment building.
As stated in the affidavit, a witness told officers, once the group arrived at the party, Lee and the victim began arguing, causing the victim to punch Lee and the two got out of the car.
Investigators stated Lee was seen taking out a gun and fired a round at the victim, shooting him in the torso causing the victim to suffer a punctured lung.
Lee and a juvenile fled the scene once police arrived and were later spotted and detained. Police say Lee originally denied his involvement in the shooting, claiming to have been inside the apartment when it happened.
Officers said later they received two phone calls that stated Lee told family members he shot the victim during a fight. Investigators also found a .40-caliber Smith & Wesson in a wooded area not far from the shooting location.
Lee has been charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, and firearms not to be carried without a license. He remains in the Luzerne County Correctional Facility without bail.
