CLEVELAND — The U.S. Marshals' Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force has arrested a 21-year-old man accused of being involved in the fatal shooting of two women in Cleveland earlier this year.
Deandre Lewis was wanted by the Cleveland Division of Police for homicide and felonious assault in an incident that happened on May 14 at approximately 3 a.m. Officers responded to East 76th Street and Korman Avenue for a report of three people shot. On arrival, a large crowd was gathered outside of an after-hours club near the area.
Three victims were found in front of the 100 block of East 76th Street. The first victim, 23-year-old Ataiya Gordon, was found in the passenger seat of a vehicle with a gunshot wound to the head and was pronounced dead at the scene. Another victim, 31-year-old Bianca Mason, was found down on the sidewalk next to the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene. She suffered gunshot wounds to the body.
A third victim, a 23-year-old woman, was found outside of the vehicle with a gunshot wound to her leg. She was transported to University Hospitals for treatment. Investigators say the three victims had been out that evening and had returned to the home of the woman who was wounded in the leg. The victims were approached by men in a vehicle who began to argue with the women and then opened fire at them. The suspects then left in a vehicle. Deandre Lewis was later identified as being involved in the deadly shooting.
On Friday, Lewis was arrested by task force members near the 11600 block of E. 59th Street in Cleveland. Three firearms were seized from the residence following the arrest.
“Outstanding investigative work by the Cleveland Division of Police, Homicide Unit, lead to the identification of this suspect," said U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott in a statement. "The continued relationship between our task force and the Cleveland Division of Police will result in more violent fugitives being taken off the streets.”
Elliott is referring to the NOVFTF's ongoing "Operation 216" initiative with the city of Cleveland. As part of the initiative, members of the U.S. Marshals Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force are focusing on targeted hot spots in the city of Cleveland. In addition, Operation 216 also includes an additional cold case investigator assigned to work on unsolved homicide cases ranging from two to three years old.
Anyone with information concerning any wanted fugitive can contact the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force at 1-866-4WANTED (1-866-492-6833), or you can send a web tip here. Reward money is available, and tipsters may remain anonymous.