021226...R MURDER SITE...Warren...02-12-26...Apartment complex at 1379 Mahoning Ave. NW in Warren where a murder took place Wednesday night...by R. Michael Semple

Staff report

WARREN — Two city men are in custody after a shooting death late Wednesday at a Mahoning Avenue NW apartment complex.

It is the second homicide of the year in Warren and the second this week, coming just two days after a man was shot to death near the corner of Paige Avenue NE and Elm Road on Monday afternoon.

At 11:08 p.m. Wednesday, Warren police responded to a call of shots fired at 1377 Mahoning Ave. NW and found a juvenile male with a gunshot wound in the parking lot of the apartment complex, according to a Warren Police Department news release. The victim was transported by ambulance to St. Joseph Warren Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, the release stated.

At 7:20 a.m. Thursday, several suspects were detained and later questioned by police, according to the release. A search warrant was obtained for an apartment in the complex and evidence was recovered, the release stated.

Two 18-year-old suspects — Ashaud Duane Lee Johnson and Willis Leroy Smith IV — were arrested on charges of murder and booked into the Trumbull County Jail, according to the release. Additional charges could be filed once WPD detectives consult with prosecutors.

Anyone with information about Wednesday night’s shooting death is asked to contact Warren Detective Nicole Smith at 330-841-2684.

The latest killing follows the Monday afternoon shooting death of Darrell Staggers of Warren in the parking lot of a business at the intersection of Paige Avenue NE and Elm Road at 12:30 p.m. Monday.

Two potential suspect vehicles in that shooting were seen fleeing the scene heading north on Elm Road. Warren police reported having no suspects on Monday. Anyone with information on Monday’s shooting is asked to call Warren Detective Abigail Krafcik at 330-841-2914.

After an incident last year, Johnson was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and tampering with evidence. On April 24, 2025, several 911 callers reported gunfire near Forest Street NE and Paige Avenue NE. According to a Warren police report detailed in an April 25 Tribune Chronicle story, Johnson and a juvenile were passengers in a vehicle driven by Elijah Kaleil Turner, 20, of Sheridan Avenue NE.

After reports of gunfire in the area at approximately 12:20 a.m., police spotted a dark gray Jeep traveling without headlights and conducted a traffic stop. The three occupants reported they were shot at by an unidentified person dressed in black.

During a search of the area, officers recovered a .45-caliber handgun missing its magazine, a rifle with a round in the chamber and a 9mm Glock handgun with a drum magazine. Additional ammunition and spent casings were also found near a home on Forest Street.

Investigators also found gun magazines and loose ammunition inside the Jeep.

Turner was charged with carrying a concealed weapon, tampering with evidence and driving without a license and a headlight violation. Both Turner and Johnson, who had an address on Rosemary Avenue in Southington, were booked into the Trumbull County Jail. The juvenile with them was taken to the Juvenile Justice Center.

All three were scheduled for court appearances on April 29, 2025, but no immediate word on the resolution of that case was available.