Victim ID'd as Erie police and DA review fatal shooting in park's parking lot
A 24-year-old Erie man told city police he was in possession of two handguns when he traveled to an eastside park early Sunday morning to fight another man.
One of the weapons, a loaded Taurus G2C 9 mm pistol, was found in the glove box of Michael N. Ochrang's Toyota RAV4, investigators reported.
Ochrang told police the other gun, a loaded Smith & Wesson M&P .40-caliber, was on his right hip when he confronted his challenger, 21-year-old Noah King, in the parking lot of the pool at Rodger Young Park, according to case documents.
Erie police accuse Ochrang of using that gun to shoot and kill King before Ochrang placed the weapon on the hood of his vehicle.
More:Erie man charged with aggravated assault in fatal shooting, says gun pulled on him first
Ochrang told police that King pulled a gun on him first as the two men confronted each other for the fight before Ochrang said he shot King at least two times, according to information in the criminal complaint.
King, of Erie, died of a gunshot wound to the chest, said Erie County Coroner Lyell Cook, who ruled the death a homicide following an autopsy on Monday afternoon. King was pronounced dead at the park on Sunday at 2:26 a.m.
Police seized Ochrang's two guns as well as a gun they said they found with King after officers responded to the park at Buffalo Road and Downing Avenue to investigate the shooting on Sunday at 1:18 a.m.
Ochrang admitted to not possessing a concealed carry permit for the guns he had, investigators wrote in Ochrang's criminal complaint.
Ochrang remained in the Erie County Prison Wednesday on $250,000 bond following his arraignment late Sunday afternoon. Erie police detectives charged him with first- and second-degree felony counts of aggravated assault, a third-degree felony count of carrying a firearm without a license, and misdemeanor counts of possession of a weapon and recklessly endangering another person.
Case under review as police check video
Erie police and the Erie County District Attorney's Office are continuing to review the case against Ochrang as he awaits a preliminary hearing, which is tentatively scheduled for Feb. 3, according to information on Ochrang's online court docket sheet.
The ongoing probe includes reviewing footage from the body-worn cameras of Erie police officers who responded to the shooting, and reviewing footage from security cameras in the area of the park that might have filmed the actions of the participants before and after the shooting, Deputy Chief Rick Lorah said Wednesday.
According to investigators, at least seven people were in the parking lot of Rodger Young Park when the shooting happened. No one else was reported injured.
Ochrang told detectives that he went to the park to meet King after he said King challenged him to a fight. Ochrang said he arrived at the park first, and after King arrived both men exited their vehicles and met in the parking lot, according to information in Ochrang's criminal complaint.
Detectives wrote that Ochrang stated that King pointed his handgun at Ochrang then turned toward him, "whereupon Michael shot Noah at least two times."
Two 911 calls were placed to report the shooting. One was made by Ochrang, who stated to the call taker that he had just shot someone after a gun was pointed at him, according to information in the criminal complaint.
Investigators have not revealed a possible reason for why Ochrang and King had gone to Rodger Young Park to fight.
King's death is the first homicide in Erie County this year and occurred a little more than two weeks after Erie resident Steve Smith, 38, was fatally shot during an altercation at the Metroplex on Buffalo Road on Dec. 30.
More:Erie police continue to search club, seek video in fatal shooting of 38-year-old man
That homicide case remains under investigation, with no one charged as of Wednesday.
Contact Tim Hahn at thahn@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNhahn.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Victim ID'd as police, DA review fatal shooting in Erie park's parking lot
