71-year-old man arrested, accused in downtown Huntington shooting
Police say the 21-year-old victim, from Fort Salonga, was transported to a hospital and is being treated for serious injuries that are not considered life-threatening.
Suffolk police say they arrested a 71-year-old man in connection to an early morning shooting in Huntington on Saturday.
Police say John Rech, of Huntington, shot another man who was chasing him at about 5 a.m.
Police say the 21-year-old victim, from Fort Salonga, was shot in the leg and abdomen and was transported to a hospital and is being treated for serious injuries that are not considered life-threatening.
It's unknown why the victim was chasing Rech, but court documents say the two are strangers.
Rech was charged with assault and was arraigned on Sunday in Central Islip.
Police say Rech had a valid license for the firearm, which was recovered.
Businesses told News 12 that they were shocked to hear about the incident, as many have employees who arrive early in the morning, including Starbucks and Hatch.
“Something like that happening right across the street from where we run our business is a little nerve-wracking," says Hatch general manager Tijah Parrott. "We just really want the employees to kind of check their surroundings before coming into the building. It's still a little dark when the people that come in and open."
"I never thought something like that would happen over here," says Nadia Lopresti, who works at Luna Nova. "We do get here pretty early so it is very concerning."
News 12 asked the Town of Huntington for more details about the shooting, but it referred all questions to Suffolk police.
