Man Arrested for Firing Sawed Off Shotgun in Utica Streets

When will the plight of gun violence end in the City of Utica?

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While the immediate problem seems to be with younger people being involved with shootings and homicides, it's not exclusive to youth. Utica Police have just arrested a man for firing shots in the city.

Police officials say units were dispatched to the 1100 block of Steuben Street Wednesday morning just before 11 a.m. for reports of "shots fired." Upon arrival officers were pointed in the direction to a residence on Steuben where the alleged shots were coming from.

Officers then searched the area of the home and found several spent shotgun shell casings outside the residence, specifically in the area of the back porch, according to Utica Police.

Tenants of the building in question were summoned by police and one individual, a man, exited the building and was frisked for safety. Police say they discovered live shotgun shells in the man's pockets. That individual was detained and the investigation continued.

Photo Courtesy of Utica Police Department via Facebook

Once all tenants were searched and detained, permission was given to officers to enter the property and that led officers to discover a sawed off shotgun inside the home along with several live rounds of ammunition, according to police.

At the conclusion of their investigation, officers learned that the person allegedly responsible for firing shots at the location was the first man that was frisked by police. Officers say that man was 31-year-old Alex Lanaux of Utica. He was arrested and is facing several charges including Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the third degree (defaced), Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the third degree (prior conviction) and Criminal Possession of a Firearm.

He was also charged with a Utica City Code of Firing a Firearm within the City limits.

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