UPDATE 12/19/23: Eymel Deas, 28, was arrested the morning of December 10th and charged in this shooting with Attempted Murder in the Second Degree, Assault in the First Degree, & Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, class B & C felonies. You can read more about his arrest here.
On the evening of December 9th, 2023, a black man was shot in the 100 block of Plain Street around 9:20 PM. A witness reported hearing four to five gunshots in rapid succession. Two parked vehicles were also struck by stray bullets.
The Ithaca Fire Department and Bangs Ambulance assisted Ithaca Police officers with the response to this incident.
A BOLO (Be On the LookOut) has been issued for a grey sedan believed to be involved in the shooting.
Following the incident, an electric scooter and a gallon of water were observed in the street.
This area is the site of a Black Lives Matter street mural and is virtually the same location where Tehran Forrest was murdered in March 2022. The intersection has been plagued by crime and drug activity for many years, as detailed in a 2017 Ithaca Times article. Forrest’s murder remains unsolved.
The victim was airlifted via helicopter from Cayuga Medical Center to Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital in Pennsylvania, a Level 1 Trauma Center.
As of now, the victim’s condition remains unknown.
Ithaca Police are still investigating this incident and have not issued any statement at this time. This article will be updated as additional information becomes available.
Anyone who may have information about this incident is asked to contact the Ithaca Police Department via the following means. Those who wish to remain anonymous may do so.
Police Dispatch: 607-272-3245
Police Administration: 607-272-9973
Police Tipline: 607-330-0000
Anonymous Email Tip Address: www.cityofithaca.org/ipdtips