Cooper: Park Avenue incident was a shoot-out

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Police Chief Steve Cooper says the people involved in a Charleston West Side shooting Tuesday night looked like they were ready for a shoot-out.

19 shots were fired along Park Avenue Tuesday night.
19 shots were fired along Park Avenue Tuesday night.

“Apparently they ran into each other and they were expecting to see each other at some point because they were all armed,” Cooper said.

Nineteen different rounds were fired from three shooters at around 8 p.m. on Park Avenue. Two houses were struck. There were no injuries. It was likely drug related, Cooper said.

“Especially when there are several people shooting–that’s almost always drug-related,” Cooper said.

Detectives said Wednesday morning they’ve been able to identify the suspects.

Some shots came from a red Nissan Xterra and others from the street.

The Park Avenue area has been relatively quiet for a few months since authorities closed down the Park Place Bar and made several arrests on Aug. 8, Cooper said.

“It’s been quieter but unfortunately this thing happened,” Cooper said.