Four Arrested After Shooting Near Performing Arts Center

Photo Credit/ Sean Mickalitis The shooting occurred Dec. 1 on the Monroe County Housing Authority property, just north of campus.

Sean Mickalitis

News Editor

A man is charged with attempted homicide in an off-campus shooting near Hill Street in East Stroudsburg that occurred over the weekend.

The incident took place on Monroe County Housing Authority property, just north of ESU.

“I was in the parking lot behind the library when I first saw two or three state police cars speed down Normal Street. When I was driving by Sci-Tech, I saw three state trooper cars parked there,” said Student Bailey Holbert. “I thought something was happening on campus. If I were walking somewhere, I would be worried about my safety.”

The man charged — Raheem J. Bean, 34, of East Stroudsburg — and another man — Jamal Garner Ernest, 19, of Tobyhanna — allegedly got into an argument Saturday, Dec. 1 that led Bean to fire a shot toward Ernest, according to Stroud Area Regional Police.    

Then, Bean and Ernest, along with two other men—Blair Kollie Fayah, 19, and Malik Senal Adoyi, 21, both from Tobyhanna—allegedly fled the scene in one black and one gray BMW, according to SARP.   

An ESU police officer saw the gray BMW stopped on Normal Street and parked his squad car in front of the vehicle to prevent the suspects from escaping; then the black BMW sped around both vehicles, onto the sidewalk, and began traveling north on Marguerite Street, according to a report in the Pocono Record.

When SARP arrived at the scene, the ESU officer left the gray BMW behind to pursue the black vehicle, driven by Ernest. Upon activating his lights and sirens, the vehicle would not stop and began speeding along Mary St. and then onto ESU’s athletic field, according to the report.

Once on the field, Ernest lost control of the vehicle, and he and the passenger then fled on foot, according to the report.

The suspects in the black BMW were later apprehended, according to SARP.

After police failed to apprehend the passengers in the gray BMW, the suspects also led SARP in a chase. The vehicle, driven by Adoyi, fled along Normal Street, Ransberry Avenue and Analomink Street, where the vehicle left the road and hit a retaining wall, according to the report.

Officers found a 1911-22 Chappa .22-caliber pistol that reportedly was thrown from the vehicle during the pursuit. Fayah, the passenger of the vehicle, allegedly had two live .22 caliber rounds in his possession. Neither suspect is licensed to carry a concealed firearm, according to the report.

Bean was charged with criminal attempt to commit homicide, aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person and possessing instruments of a crime. Bean is currently held at the Monroe County Correctional Facility and has a set bail at $20,000, according to SARP.

Ernest was charged with attempting to elude police, recklessly endangering another person, criminal mischief/property damage and institutional vandalism. Ernest was arraigned and released by Magistrate Higgins, according to SARP.

Adoyi and Fayah were charged with possession of a firearm with an altered manufacturer number, a firearm carried without a license, attempting to elude a police officer and tampering with evidence. The two suspects were arraigned and released by Higgins, according to SARP.

Bean, Fayah, and Adoyi have a preliminary hearing scheduled for Dec. 11.

Email Sean at:

smickaliti@lilve.esu.edu