CORNPLANTER TWP., Pa. (EYT) — Criminal charges have been filed against two individuals who were allegedly involved in a shooting that occurred at a residence in Cornplanter Township in late May.

According to court documents, on Monday, June 28, the Franklin-based State Police filed criminal charges against 19-year-old Parker Evan Collavo, of Oil City, and 20-year-old Ardonta Martez Gaines, of Ellwood City.

The charges stem from a shooting incident that occurred in May at a residence in Cornplanter Township, Venango County.

According to a criminal complaint, Franklin-based State Police responded to a residence in Cornplanter Township, around 9:16 a.m. on May 22 after a known female victim reported finding a discharged bullet slug in her residence.

Report of Shooting

The first victim told police that two nights prior, she got up to use the bathroom around 2:00 a.m. and heard a loud “popping” noise from outside. She said when she looked out her bathroom window, she saw a vehicle outside on State Route 8 slowly traveling south toward Oil City and saw what she described as “sparks” coming from the vehicle as the popping noises were occurring.

The victim wasn’t sure how many “pops” she heard, but thought it was more than five. The victim said that she initially thought it was “kids messing around outside with firecrackers.” She was unable to determine the make or model of the vehicle but told police it then sped away going south. She reported a second victim residing at the house then found a discharged bullet in his bedroom inside the residence on the morning of May 22, and she realized the popping noises must have been gunshots and a bullet had struck her house.

The complaint notes that the first victim told police she was unsure who would want to do something like this to her house.

Police then interviewed the second victim who reported he noticed damage to the wall of his bedroom that morning, and when he pried at it, the bullet slug fell out of the wall and onto the floor.

The second victim also told police that a third victim also lives at the residence, though he was in the process of moving out. Since he was not home when police arrived, he was asked to give a statement later.

Evidence at the Scene

According to the complaint, police observed an apparent bullet hole in the window of the victim’s bedroom on the second story of the residence, which faces State Route 8, as well as a hole in the victim’s bedroom wall where the bullet traveled through and into the second victim’s bedroom. Police also found the slug on the floor of the second victim’s bedroom.

Police then located numerous freshly spent cartridge casings along State Route 8, just north of the victim’s residence. Ten spent 9mm [nine Blazer brand and one RP (Remington-Peters) brand] and four spent .32 automatic (PMC brand) shell casings were recovered in an area that lined up with the hole in the window and in the bedroom walls, the complaint states.

According to the complaint, based on the physical evidence, it was concluded that the bullet traveled from the area where the casings were recovered along the roadway up through the victim’s bedroom window and into the wall.

Police also checked neighboring residences for bullet holes but were unable to find any, the complaint notes.

Report from Neighbors

Police then spoke to the victim’s neighbor, who reported that she and her husband were sleeping when the shooting had occurred, but they were awakened by a “popping” noise from the roadway. The neighbor said they were unable to see anything by the time they got out of bed. They checked their house in the morning and were unable to find any signs of damage.

According to the complaint, the neighbor also told police they believed whatever happened probably involved the third victim. They reported an increase in traffic coming and going from the victim’s residence since the third victim had been there and also said the third victim had recently been arrested for drugs.

Third Victim Interviewed

The third victim was interviewed later in the day.

According to the complaint, the third victim provided police with a different phone number from the one he had used to speak to the first victim earlier in the day, and when asked about it, he said he couldn’t afford the bill any longer and had just had the phone shut off.

He initially told police that he was home at the time of the incident but did not hear the shots. He reported he was awake playing a video game and had headphones on. He also reported he is in the process of moving out of the residence and said he had no idea who would do something like that to the house, the complaint states.

However, later in the day, police received a voicemail from the first victim stating that the third victim had additional information to provide.

On May 23, police then spoke to the third victim again, at which time the third victim provided police with a printout of a screenshot from his phone of a Facebook message from “Parker Shea.” The third victim then told police he had contact with “Parker Shea” on Facebook after leaving the police station the prior day, and “Shea” sent him several messages incriminating himself.

The third victim reported that he didn’t want to accuse “Shea” of anything, but Shea had basically admitted to his involvement in the messages.

According to the complaint, the messages stated “Yea I straight texted come out you left me on red look at the text,” “And you didn’t hear me that’s a lie” with emojis, “you didn’t hear them big firecrackers go off you just gave me a foony address that’s why” and “I’m done the beef is settled.”

The third victim then told police he had been using his cell phone and messaging with “Parker Shea” through Facebook around the time the incident occurred.

When asked why Shea would do something as drastic as shooting at his house, the third victim said that a few weeks earlier, he messaged a girl on SnapChat and “Shea,” who was the girl’s boyfriend, then started messaging him. He said they “talked some smack on each other,” and said he did give Shea his address at one point but didn’t think he would actually come out and do something like shooting at the house. He also reported he never met “Shea” in person, the complaint indicates.

He told police that he had deleted everything else off of his phone “to protect himself” and refused to consent to a further search of his phone. Due to his “evasiveness,” police seized his phone for its contents pending a search warrant since it was believed the phone may contain additional information relating to the individual(s) involved in the shooting, the complaint continues.

“Shea” Identified

Police then conducted a driver’s license query for “Parker Shea” and were unable to find any results. They then spoke to the resource officer at Cranberry Area High School to try to locate any former student named “Parker Shea.” The officer reported they did not have a student with that name, but did have a former student with the name Parker Collavo who would be 19 years old.

Police then conducted a driver’s license query for Collavo and found his driver’s license photo matched the male photo depicted on Parker Shea’s Facebook profile. A query of sale for firearms to one of Collavo’s close family members indicated he had previously purchased a 9mm pistol and a .40 caliber pistol.

According to the complaint, police also were able to verify Collavo’s address and phone number and a search warrant was then obtained for his residence and vehicles.

Search of Collavo’s Residence

Around 8:47 a.m. on May 26, a search warrant was executed on Collavo’s residence.

According to the complaint, a photograph of Collavo and a female found in his basement bedroom area was the same photo used on the Facebook profile. Police also located several drug paraphernalia items in the bedroom, including two smoking pipes, a scale, and some suspected THC wax, as well as a spent .32 auto shell casing (Aguila brand).

An iPhone in a black and red case was found in the water softener salt tablet bin located in the basement and police noted the background photo on the phone was the same photo found on the Facebook profile and in his bedroom. An LG TracFone was also found in his bedroom.

A 9mm Smith & Wesson M&P Shield pistol was located on the first floor of the residence and a box containing the matching serial number had paperwork inside with a record of sale showing the purchaser as another of Collavo’s family members. Police also located a full box (50 rounds) of 9mm ammunition (Blazer brand) and a partial box of Federal 9mm ammunition. Three live .32 auto (PMC brand) cartridges were found in a nightstand in another bedroom and a 9mm Ruger pistol registered to one of Collavo’s close family members was located in his upstairs bedroom. A live .32 auto cartridge was also found in the passenger glove compartment of Collavo’s Nissan Frontier.

Interview with Collavo

According to the complaint, during a police interview, Collavo initially admitted he sent the Facebook messages to the third victim, but denied being involved in the shooting at the victim’s residence. Collavo reportedly confirmed his phone number and admitted he uses the name “Parker Shea” on Facebook. He also told police he had never met the third victim and said the third victim had messaged him indicated he was going to “jump” him. He initially reported he didn’t know why the victim threatened him.

When questioned about the message that the “beef” was settled, Collavo reportedly claimed he sent that message because he “didn’t want any trouble” with the third victim. He also told police his cell phone, and iPhone 11, had been stolen over the weekend while he was in Erie.

When police told Collavo that an iPhone was found in the water softener bin near his bedroom, Collavo then said he was “screwed” and told police “this was not my fault,” according to the complaint.

Collavo then told police his cousin, Ardonta Gaines, “did it,” the complaint continues.

Shooter Identified

Collavo reportedly explained that Gaines was at his house and asked him about “this guy he was beefing with.” Collavo told police that Gaines told him to drive to the third victim’s house so he could fight him. Collavo said the victim did give his address but said he didn’t think it was the right address, the complaint indicates.

According to the complaint, Collavo told police he drove his Nissan Frontier to the Route 8 address the third victim had given him and went by once before turning around. He said they were going south on Route 8 when Gaines fired the shots.

Collavo initially told police he stopped looking for the third victim to come out of the residence or be along the roadway, and when they didn’t see him, he proceeded to leave, but Gaines, who was in the back seat, said he was going to “light up the whole block” and pulled out two pistols and began shooting at the houses.

The complaint notes that Collavo said he had no idea that Gaines had the pistols on him prior to when Gaines began shooting. He thought he was just going to drive to the victim’s residence and the third victim and Gaines would “box it out.” He also told police he never fired a shot.

When asked about the pistols Gaines used, Collavo reportedly told police he believed it was a Glock 9mm and an older .32 auto. Collavo also admitted he helped Gaines clean the guns after they returned to his house. He told police that Gaines put both of the pistols in a backpack that he took with him and said Gaines had probably “got rid of” both pistols, the complaint states.

According to the complaint, Collavo also told police that Gaines was using his phone, and he was the one who had sent the Facebook messages to the third victim. He reportedly said no one else was with him and Gaines in the vehicle at the time of the shooting.

Interview with Family Member

Police also interviewed one of Collavo’s close family members who reportedly said he was not home on the night of the incident. The family member confirmed Collavo did own a red and black iPhone 11 and drove the red Nissan Frontier. He also confirmed the Ruger 9mm seized from the residence belonged to him and the Smith and Wesson belonged to another family member.

When asked if he had ever owned a .32 auto pistol, he said that he did not and that he did not know why .32 ammunition was located in his room. He also confirmed that Gaines was at their residence on May 21 and May 22.

Gaines Arraigned, Jailed

Gaines was arraigned in front of Magisterial District Judge Andrew F. Fish at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, June 28, on the following charges:

– Discharge Of A Firearm Into Occupied Structure, Felony 3
– Firearms Not To Be Carried Without License, Felony 3 (two counts)
– Possession Of Weapon, Misdemeanor 1 (two counts)
– Possession Of Firearm Prohibited, Misdemeanor 1 (two counts)
– Recklessly Endangering Another Person, Misdemeanor 2 (three counts)
– Criminal Mischief — Damage Property, Misdemeanor 3

He was lodged in the Venango County Jail with bail denied as a “threat to society.”

Court documents indicate Gaines was previously charged with robbery, assault, theft, and other charges in relation to an incident in the City of Farrell in Mercer County in 2017.

Collavo Arraigned, Released on Unsecured Bail

Collavo was arraigned in front of Magisterial District Judge Andrew F. Fish at 12:00 p.m. on Monday, June 28, on the following charges:

– Criminal Conspiracy Engaging — Discharge Of A Firearm Into Occupied Structure, Felony 3
– Discharge Of A Firearm Into Occupied Structure, Felony 3
– Recklessly Endangering Another Person, Misdemeanor 2 (three counts)
– Use/Possession Of Drug Paraphernalia, Misdemeanor (four counts)

He was released on $25,000.00 unsecured bail.

Preliminary hearings are scheduled for 3:00 p.m. on July 7 in Venango County Central Court with Judge Fish presiding.

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