Drugs found in home of shooting suspect

The West Reading resident accused of shooting another man in the evening of Nov. 4 from his porch had large quantities of marijuana and drug paraphernalia in his home, West Reading police Chief Edward Fabriziani said.

Fabriziani said the victim, a Reading man, was arguing with the suspect on the front porch of the latter’s apartment in the 100 block of South Fifth Avenue in West Reading. As the victim left, the suspect fired a handgun at him.

“He shot him as he was running away,” Fabriziani said.

The victim was taken to Reading Hospital and treated for a single gunshot wound to the abdomen. He was released either that night or the next day, Fabriziani said.

The shooting was initially described as a gun battle or a home invasion. Neighbors, who reported hearing as many as nine shots, thought it was a shootout. The notion that it was a home invasion came from the suspect, who called police that night to report it as such.

“We now know that’s not the case,” Fabriziani said.

The 48-year-old suspect was arrested Nov. 4 and charged with three counts of simple assault, two counts of aggravated assault and one count each of reckless endangerment, drug possession, possession with intent to deliver, possession of drug paraphernalia and possessing an instrument of a crime. He was jailed in lieu of $100,000 bail.