ELYRIA — Elyria police on Monday arrested a man they believe to be involved in a recent shooting in the city.
Howse
Christopher Howse, 18, of Elyria, was arrested a little before 8 p.m. after a traffic stop on Holly Lane and is currently in the Lorain County Jail on bonds totaling more than $90,000.
Howse was charged with carrying a concealed weapon, improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was also cited for driving under suspension, not wearing a seat belt and possession of marijuana.
Officers were on Middle Avenue at 7:50 p.m. Monday when they saw Howse driving in a turquoise Chevrolet Cobalt.
“Officers are familiar with Howse from several prior incidents and knew him to have a suspended drving status,” a police report said. “In recent days, officers had received tips that Howse was believed to be carrying a handgun and was possibly involved in a recent shooting in the city.”
Howse and a passenger in his car were both pulled out of the car at gunpoint. The passenger, who was not armed and came back clear, was released at the scene.
Officers checked the vehicle and confiscated a digital scale with green, leafy flakes on it along with a small unpackaged amount of marijuana, the report said. They also found a magazine and handgun underneath the vehicle’s dash.
While officers processed the vehicle, Howse began to yell, “Do you think it’s (expletive) wrong, I’m strapped because they shot up my (expletive) mom’s house,” the report said.
According to the report, Howse continued to curse at officers while he was being transported to the Police Department.
Elyria police responded to Howse’s mother’s Riverside Drive home at 2:30 a.m. Monday after she reported someone had shot into the home. They found four bullet holes into the home, including one that had entered the bedroom where she was sleeping.
In the late-night hours of March 30th police responded to a report of vehicles chasing each other and exchanging gunfire. The driver of the vehicle being chased identified the person who had shot at him as Howse. Officers found two bullet holes in the rear of the man’s vehicle.
Howse’s next court date is April 14.
