LANCASTER, PA — Two juveniles from Lancaster County have been charged as adults in connection with a shooting incident that took place in East Lampeter Township in September. The accused, Omar Jackson, 17, and Nazier Vega, 16, waived their preliminary hearings on Tuesday before Magisterial District Judge Denise Commins.
The incident occurred in the 300 block of Greenland Drive and involved Jackson and Vega allegedly firing at each other. Police responded to reports of gunshots and juveniles running in the area on September 12, 2023, at approximately 4:58 p.m. At the scene, officers recovered four .45-caliber casings and a bullet fragment.
Jackson, of the first block of Chickadee Circle, will face charges of first-degree felony aggravated assault, possession of firearm by minor, carrying a firearm without a license, discharging a firearm into an occupied structure, and six counts of recklessly endangering another person in Lancaster County Court.
Vega, of the 100 block of Greenland Drive, will face similar charges, albeit for second-degree felony aggravated assault. Both defendants were initially charged with attempted homicide, which was reduced to aggravated assault charges at the preliminary hearing.
During the incident, a bullet had penetrated the siding of a nearby home and landed at the foot of an uninvolved resident. Multiple additional residents in the area heard and witnessed the shooting. Surveillance footage from a nearby residence showed Vega and a group of males walking past the camera about five seconds before Jackson, who then pulls a black handgun from his waistband. Vega can be seen holding a handgun in Jackson’s direction.
Further investigation revealed that Jackson was employed at Gabe’s discount store on Lincoln Highway East. Surveillance footage from the store showed Jackson working in the same clothing observed by the residence video. Vega and a group of males can also be seen walking past Jackson inside the store, with Jackson following the group out of the store around 4:54 p.m. Jackson then returned to Gabe’s, clocked out, and left with a backpack around 4:57 p.m.
Both suspects were identified through still images from surveillance footage. East Lampeter Township Police Detective Heather Waltman filed the charges, while Assistant District Attorney Janie Swinehart is prosecuting the case.
For the latest news on everything happening in Chester County and the surrounding area, be sure to follow MyChesCo on Google News and MSN.