Two more suspects charged in killing of Erie boy; police say another person was targeted

Four males were at an east Erie gas station on the evening of April 14 when they spotted another male they knew in the gas station's parking lot.

One member of the group reportedly stated he wanted to "get him," according to information supplied to Erie police.

One of the males would later tell police that the group retrieved a gun and began looking for the male they saw at the gas station while they rode around in a Chevrolet Cruze. The group eventually split up and got into two vehicles, and at some point, as they drove through eastside neighborhoods, gunshots were fired, according to investigators.

Erie police have not revealed whether the person the group was looking for was among six children, ages 13 and younger, who were shot at as they walked in the area of Downing Avenue and Fairmount Parkway.

One of the gunshots struck 7-year-old Antonio Yarger Jr. in the head, leading to his death four days later.

Investigators revealed more details in the shooting in criminal complaints filed on Monday against the last of the four suspects in Antonio's killing.

Yussuf M. Hassan, 20, and Abbas K. Al-Harbi, 17, are charged with offenses including conspiracy to commit both criminal homicide and aggravated assault as well as multiple counts of recklessly endangering in the shooting, which happened on April 14 at about 7:40 p.m.

Members of the U.S. Marshals Western Pennsylvania Fugitive Task Force and Erie police took Al-Harbi, who is charged as an adult, into custody in the 3200 block of West 24th Street in Millcreek Township on Tuesday at about 6:15 a.m. Hassan turned himself in to Erie police a short time later, authorities said.

Both awaited arraignment Tuesday morning.

More:Erie shooting: Family remembers Antonio Yarger Jr. as 'fantastic young man'

Also charged in Antonio's death is 17-year-old Abdulla O. Ismael, who is accused of firing the gunshots, and 20-year-old Yassin A. Ibrahim, who is accused of driving the stolen SUV investigators said the shots were fired from. Both were arraigned in early May on criminal homicide and related offenses and remain in custody awaiting their preliminary hearings.

Erie Police Chief Dan Spizarny on Tuesday credited the work of detectives in following up on leads "to ensure everybody was held accountable" in the death of Antonio, who he said was an innocent victim of the shooting.

"There was information obtained throughout the investigation that led us to believe there were more than two people involved. Although the two primary suspects were arrested, the complete investigation now clearly shows there was more criminal activity afoot," he said.

He said Hassan and Al-Harbi may not have pulled the trigger, but they were still helping the suspects track an individual who they intended to target.

The shooting

Antonio was walking with the other children and was at the northwest corner of Downing Avenue and Fairmount Parkway, a block from his Downing Avenue home, when gunshots rang out. The boy was shot in the head and was taken to the hospital before he was flown to Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC.

Antonio died at the hospital on April 18.

Authorities initially said little about the shooting and sealed records including search warrants and the criminal complaints against Ismael and Ibrahim as city police worked the investigation.

Details began coming to light in early May.

At a hearing for Ismael, held to determine whether he would remain at the Edmund L. Thomas Adolescent Center following his arrest or transfer to adult prison, a detective testified that surveillance video showed gunshots fired from a black Honda CR-V, which was reported stolen in Millcreek days earlier.

The detective also testified that Ibrahim told investigators he was driving the Honda north on Downing Avenue, with Ismael sitting behind him, when he heard gunshots coming from Ismael in the back seat as he turned the SUV east onto Fairmount Parkway from Downing Avenue.

According to information in the criminal complaints filed against Ismael and Ibrahim, which were unsealed following a challenge by the Erie Times-News, Ibrahim told investigators that on the day of the shooting, the group was in a Chevrolet Cruze before they got into the stolen Honda and drove to a store. After returning from the store, Ibrahim said Hassan and a 17-year-old identified in the complaints by the initials A.A. got out and entered the Chevrolet Cruze and drove away, police wrote in the complaints.

Ibrahim told investigators he followed the Chevrolet as both vehicles traveled north on Downing Avenue. As the vehicles approached Fairmount Parkway, he said the Chevrolet stopped and backed into Linwood Avenue as Ismael told him to keep driving the SUV, according to information in the complaints.

He said as he turned onto Fairmount Parkway, he heard multiple gunshots that Ismael was firing through a lowered rear driver's side window, detectives wrote in the complaints.

New information

Detectives, in the criminal complaints filed against Hassan and Al-Harbi, wrote that surveillance video showed a muzzle flash coming from a dark-colored SUV before the vehicle accelerated away.

Ibrahim admitted during interviews in late April and on July 9 that he was driving the stolen Honda at the time of the shooting, and identified Ismael as the shooter.

He stated to police that he and Hassan were at the Speed Check gas station on Buffalo Road on April 14 when they got into a Chevrolet Cruze driven by Al-Harbi and with Ismael in the front seat. As they got into the car, Ibrahim said they observed a male they knew and heard Ismael state that he wanted to "get him," detectives wrote in the complaints.

Ibrahim told police that Al-Harbi had a Glock 19 in the pocket of the driver's door of the car, and he heard Hassan state that he could get a Glock 43. Video showed the Chevrolet traveling to the corner of Prospect and McCain avenues and Hassan exiting the car. Ibrahim stated that Hassan returned to the car with the Glock 43 and handed the gun to Ismael, according to information in the complaints.

He said the group drove around looking for the male from the Speed Check before they drove to the 1700 block of East 27th Street and got into the stolen Honda. Ibrahim stated that as he drove, he heard Al-Harbi tell Ismael, "I want to shoot," detectives wrote in the complaints.

Ibrahim said the group eventually returned to the 1700 block of East 27th Street and Hassan and Al-Harbi got back into the Chevrolet. As the two vehicles traveled north on Downing Avenue, he said Al-Harbi stopped the Chevrolet and backed it into Linwood Avenue as he continued driving, according to information in the complaints.

More:At vigil, Erie community mourns 7-year-old boy's killing

More:17-year-old charged in Erie boy's killing was out on bond in another shooting

Ibrahim told police that after the shooting, Ismael directed him to drive to the 1900 block of East 26th Street, where they exited the vehicle and went through a wooded area. He said Ismael left the handgun and the top he was wearing in the woods and he discarded his top, police wrote in the complaints.

The group later returned to the 1900 block of East 26th Street and wiped down the stolen Honda with baby wipes before Ibrahim and Ismael returned to the wooded area and retrieved the handgun and the two tops, according to information in the complaints.

The gun used in the shooting has not been recovered, according to Erie police.

Contact Tim Hahn at thahn@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNhahn.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie police charge 2 more in 7-year-old Antonio Yarger's shooting