Five people, including two juveniles, are behind bars after a shooting at the Lett Terrace PMHA housing project in West Portsmouth early Saturday morning. The Scioto County Sheriff’s Office says the suspects may be behind other crimes in the area. A call came into 911 just before 4 am reporting multiple shots fired at the apartment complex. However, deputies patrolling the area had already heard the shots and headed to the scene.
Two women and a man flagged down officers. The man, Trevon Watts, 26, of Portsmouth, claimed a car had followed his girlfriend from a nearby gas station. He said when he came out to confront the driver, someone opened fire on him. Officers learned there was an open warrant out of Dayton for Watts and took him into custody.
After deputies checked security videos from Lett Terrace, they learned that the witnesses had lied to law enforcement. The video showed a vehicle with its windows up had pulled onto Noel Lane and did not open fire. Five individuals ambushed the car and opened fire on the people inside.
Officers said the shooters fired 36 rounds at the vehicle, which had two juveniles inside. Shots were also fired in the direction of apartments and into several nearby vehicles.
That’s when deputies and detectives went to work searching multiple locations, locating the getaway vehicle and firearms used in the attack, and tracking down suspects.
The victims of the attack told officers they met some girls at a gas station, and one of them began to flirt with them. They followed the girls in hopes of getting their phone number, but when they arrived at Lett Terrace, the shooters were already waiting for them to pull in.
Officers arrested Trevon Watts, 26, of Portsmouth, Kaeden Borders, 18, of Portsmouth, Cody Milum, 19, of Portsmouth, and two underage males who were not identified due to their age.
All suspects were charged with discharging a firearm over a roadway, having weapons under disability, felonious assault, tampering with evidence, discharging a firearm into a home, and criminal damaging.
Watts also faces a criminal trespass charge and a failure to appear on a warrant from Dayton. Officers say they think the suspects have been involved in other crimes in the area.
