The York Dispatch | By Greg Gross
Gunfire in York City Thursday night killed two men and injured a third. At this point it appears all three shootings are unrelated, police said.
"We haven't found anything yet to say they're connected," said Lt. Tim Utley, who supervises the city's detective bureau. "There are leads in both of the (homicides), but it's still early on in the investigations."
Killed were Stanley Cotton, 44, of East Poplar Street in the city, and Jesse Heverling, 32. The York County Coroner's Office said Heverling's last-known address was on Sunshine Drive in Dover Township; police said he lived on South Belvidere Avenue in York.
Autopsies were set for Friday morning for both victims at Allentown's Lehigh Valley Hospital.
The men were gunned down within minutes of each other, according to police.
Cotton was inside 612 W. Market St. about 10:15 p.m. when he was shot once in the face, Utley said.
"There was some type of altercation inside 612 in the stairwell," which led to the shooting, he said.
Cotton was pronounced dead at the scene, Deputy Coroner Steve Cosey said.
Second fatal: A few minutes later, Heverling was fatally shot in the chest outside 285 S. Belvidere Ave., Utley said; the victim had been inside the building moments before.
"There was a confrontation in there," Utley said. "It escalated and someone pulled a gun."
The lieutenant said it's not yet known whether Heverling was the target of the shooting or whether he was struck by a stray bullet.
After the shooting, the victim ran north on Belvidere Avenue about 50 or 60 feet, then collapsed, Utley said.
Heverling was taken to York Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 10:52 p.m., according to Cosey.
A second unnamed person suffered some type of minor injuries during that altercation, police said.
Utley confirmed police have been called to the building in the past for various types of problems and crimes, including assaults.
Third shooting: The third man shot Thursday night is expected to survive, the lieutenant said.
Keith Joyner III, 22, of Smyser Street, told officers he was riding his bicycle home from work about 8:30 p.m. and was near the corner of North Newberry and Park streets when he was shot in the left shoulder, Utley said.
Joyner rode from the area to a home in the 800 block of Tioga Street, where he called 911, Utley said.
He was in satisfactory condition Friday morning at York Hospital, a hospital spokeswoman said.
Witnesses told officers they saw two men walking northbound on Newberry Street toward Park Street, then saw one of the men pull out a gun and fire toward a home on the corner, Utley said, and Joyner was struck.
Detectives worked throughout the night and into Friday morning on the homicides and are asking witnesses to come forward with information, the lieutenant said.
Moving: The painted red brick building with gray trim at 612 W. Market St. is a boarding house with about 15 rooms, said Barry Craul Sr., who lives there.
Craul said he associates only with one neighbor and the person who manages the building.
"I try to keep to myself," he said. "I stay out of trouble that way."
For the most part, the building is pretty quiet, Craul said.
Craul left his home for a little more than an hour and when he returned, he was surprised to find the front entrance of the building was roped off with yellow police tape.
Craul said he's going to talk to his probation officer about moving out of the building because of the homicide.
"I'm going to tell him I'm out of here," he said.
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