Suspect from shooting at Hermitage apartment complex waives hearing

FARRELL – A Farrell man accused of shooting a woman at a Hermitage apartment complex and running from police earlier this month waived his right to a preliminary hearing Thursday.

Devonta Seandale Napier, 20, of 326 Shenango Blvd., is charged with aggravated assault and prohibited possession of a firearm in the case.

Napier’s appearance in Mercer County Common Pleas Court is scheduled for March 28.

Hermitage police were dispatched just after 2 p.m. Jan. 4 to Shenango Park Apartments for a report of a woman shot, and a male suspect who possibly ran away, Hermitage police Chief Adam Piccirillo said.

The suspect was later identified as Napier. The woman was taken to a local trauma center with a gunshot to the left buttock/hip area, police said.

Police investigators worked with Shenango Park residents to get a description of the suspect, and secured one of the apartment buildings. Police later saw a man matching Napier’s description looking out of one of the building’s windows.

When police began to move into the building’s commons area, Napier jumped from a second-story window and ran west toward Carolyn Street, according to a criminal complaint.

Napier was taken into custody behind a residence in the 2000 block of Madison Street after a short foot pursuit by police and state Probation and Parole agents.

The victim told police that she got into an argument with Napier and they went outside. She said she tried to run from Napier, and he shot her, police said.

During a search of the area in 1540 Parke Drive, officers found a Glock 44 .22-caliber handgun. While searching the parking lot area where police believe Ham was shot, officers found a .22-caliber shell casing.

Napier is prohibited from possessing firearms after a 2018 adult conviction for burglary when he was a juvenile during a failed robbery and officer-involved shooting Dec. 17 along Wengler Avenue in Sharon.