WARREN — City officials testified Wednesday before the Ohio Division of Liquor Control in a virtual hearing over the city’s objection to renewing a liquor permit for a convenience store that had been shuttered after a fatal shooting in its parking lot.

City Law Director Enzo Cantalamessa told council members during the regular meeting that Safety Service Director Eddie Colbert, Police Chief Eric Merkel and Lt. Trevor Sumption provided testimony on behalf of the city.

The session addressed the 2025/2026 renewal application for the D-5/D-6 permit held by the business at 1409 Elm Road NE — Convenient Food Mart — that had drawn repeated complaints about loitering, violence and liquor law violations.

Cantalamessa noted the hearing occurred months after council objected to the renewal and after the city and the property owner reached a settlement agreement aimed at addressing neighborhood concerns. He described the timeline as surprisingly long but said no issues had occurred at the location since the resolution.

Despite the store still having its D-5, they’re operating as a C class establishment, no longer allowing hard liquor shots to be bought or consumed, according to Cantalamessa.

The store’s attorney, Thomas Nader, recommended at the hearing’s conclusion that the business shift to a C-1 or C-2 permit for sealed beer and wine carryout only.

For now, the D-5/D-6 permits remain but will be reduced to eliminate on-premises liquor sales, according to city officials.

Council had objected to renewal of the D-5/D-6 license, which allows sales of beer, wine and liquor with on-premises consumption privileges typically reserved for bars and restaurants. Most convenience stores and gas stations operate under C-class permits limited to sealed containers for off-premises consumption.

Cantalamessa told council he found it unusual for such a license to be issued to a convenience store in the first place.

Councilwoman Helen Rucker, D-at Large, questioned what state officials envisioned when granting a D-5/D-6 permit to a store in an urban neighborhood, asking what they thought would happen when customers could buy shots and then drive or loiter in the parking lot.

Councilwoman Tina Milner, D-2nd Ward, said she pursued the matter after hearing from frustrated constituents, including an elderly resident upset about the store’s reopening and reports of bullet holes in nearby homes. She credited the law department, safety service director and police for their testimony.

The hearing officer is expected to issue a summary of testimony and exhibits within 30 to 60 days, followed by a decision on the renewal and any transfer to new operators under a management agreement.

The store was closed in August 2025 after the city declared it a nuisance and filed a civil complaint.

That followed a fatal shooting in the parking lot on Aug. 3, 2025, in which 31-year-old David Owens III was killed.

Savion Woodall, 24, faces murder and attempted murder charges in the case, with a jury trial scheduled for June 29, 2026, in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court before Judge Sean O’Brien. Two other men face federal firearms charges tied to the incident.

Under the settlement, the store has since been allowed to reopen with new operators with an earlier closing time of 10 p.m. and restrictions on liquor sales.