Two Men Face Charges in Shooting Outside Rocco's Tavern

Two men face a formal arraignment in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court on charges stemming from a Dec. 1, 2012 shooting incident in front of Rocco's Tavern on Harrison Avenue in Swissvale.

Both Vadol Lee Lewis, 19, of Penn Hills and Kyle David Wilson Jr., 18, of Wilkinsburg had preliminary hearings Feb. 20 before District Judge Thomas Caulfield in his Forest Hills courtroom. Lewis and Wilson are both scheduled for a formal arraignment Downtown on April 9.

According to a criminal complaint filed by Swissvale police, five officers responded to a call at 12:52 a.m. Dec. 1 reporting multiple shots fired in front of Rocco's Tavern. Police recovered four 9mm spent shell casings about 20 feet from the entrance to the bar.

Witnesses told police that a silver Nissan with a bag hanging out of its truck had fled down Nevada Street and that one man was dressed all in black. Police located a vehicle matching that description near McClure Avenue.

While returing to Nevada, an officer spotted two men walking, including one with all-black attire. The two men, identified as Wilson and Lewis, told police they were coming from a girl's house.

Police confirmed the Nissan belonged to Wilson. An officer observed a rifle scope in plain view inside the vehicle. Police also recovered an empty box of 7.26 x 39mm TulaAmmo.

Once Lewis and Wilson were taken into custody, neighbors told police the two men were seen running behind a Schoyer Avenue house and returning to the sidewalk near where officers approached them.

Another neighbor told police that Lewis had run down the street and returned. The neighbor said that Lewis might have been hiding evidence. An officer checked the yards in that area and located an AK-47 assault rifle partially hidden under a bush in the front yard of a house in the 7100 block of Schoyer Avenue.

The rifle was loaded with 18 7.26 x 39mm live rounds, one of which was believed to be a steel-jacketed TulaAmmo round.

The Allegheny County Mobile Crime Lab was called to perform a gun residue test on the hands of both men.

Wilson was held for court on charges of firearms not to be carried without a license, conspiracy-firearms not to be carried without a license (no criminal violation), tamper with/fabricate phyisical evidence and criminal mischief/damage property (intent, reckless or negligent). Charges of discharging a firearm into an occupied structure, conspiracy-firearm not to be carried without a license (no criminal violation), loitering and prowling at nighttime and two counts of recklessly endangering another person were dismissed.

Lewis was held for court on charges of firearms not to be carried without a license, conspiracy-discharge of firearm into occupied structure, tamper with/fabricate physical evidence and criminal mischief/damage property (intent, reckless or negligent). Charges of discharging a firearm into an occupied structure, conspiracy-discharge of firearm into an occupied structure, loitering and prowling at nighttime and two counts of recklessly endangering another person were dismissed.

Both men were sent to Allegheny County Jail after their arrests. Wilson is free after posting $50,000 bail on Jan. 17. Lewis remains in jail unable to post a $100,000 bond.

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