By RICK MILLER
Olean Star
UPDATE – OLEAN — An 11-year-old boy was shot in the leg in a backyard in the 1300 block of Seneca Avenue about 6:15 p.m. Tuesday.
The youth, who was not immediately identified, was taken to the Mercy Flight helipad for transport to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester.
Olean Police and firefighters including an ambulance responded to the scene.
There was an adult and another youth in the backyard at the time the 11-year-old boy was struck by the bullet. Police do not believe the shooting was random. There were other children and aults inside the house
Area police agencies were asked to be on the lookout for a gold GMC or Chevrolet pickup truck that may have been involved in the shooting, Capt. Robert Blovsky told the Olean Star Wednesday morning.
Police do not have a suspect in custody, but want to talk to the driver of the truck, which was seen leaving the scene on a video, Blovsky said.
A video from a house on the street showing the pickup truck police are looking for has been posted on the Olean Police Facebook page.
Investigators and patrolmen plan to return to the scene this morning to look for more evidence in the light of day. Blovsky said no spent ammunition cartridges were found at the scene Tuesday night. Police used patrol car headlights and flashlights to look for evidence in the dark.
Anyone with videos on their home that show Seneca Street Tuesday night are asked to call police investigators at (716) 376-5673 or dispatch at (716) 376-5677.
Facebook pages lit up with prayers and comments area residents.
One woman wrote on Where Are the Sirens Going Facebook page “It was so scary. Right in my backyard. There were so many shots. I heard screaming, shots, screaming and more shots.”
In another post, a woman said, “It was across the street from my house and it’s the 1300 block! The shots and then the child screaming was awful! My own children having to hear that was awful as well, this is going to be a rough night. I don’t know if they caught the shooter yet but they were looking for evidence and were doing a great job out there.”
Another woman wrote on the same page: “We live on Queen Street. My kids walk to King Street Park, taking Seneca all the time. This is terrifying.”
