A 20-year-old Lackawanna County man is under arrest for shooting and critically wounding Scranton Police Detective Kyle Gilmartin.
Aiden Gabriel Deininger was arraigned and charged Wednesday from his hospital bed — Gilmartin’s handcuffs placed on him — according to Pennsylvania State Police Major Mike Carroll, commander of Area II.
“Five shots at point blank range into a vehicle containing three police officers,” added Lackawanna County District Attorney Mark Powell. “Deininger’s actions were brazen, reckless and without regard to human life.”
Multiple law enforcement agencies, including state police and Scranton Police, held a press conference Wednesday to announce the charges against Deininger, which include three counts of attempted homicide of law enforcement officers.
Gilmartin is still in critical condition but responsive and making improvements, said Powell.
"Kyle is a strong man and has shown incredible resilience as he continues to improve daily," he said.
Deininger is also hospitalized and in custody of state police. He was shot by Scranton Police Detective Joseph Lafferty.
Powell said Deininger knew he was shooting at police in an “ambush-style attack," which ended a night of crime.
Multiple law enforcement agencies are investigating not only the shooting in the city’s West Side, which injured Gilmartin, but also two other incidents which occurred in the city the night of Wednesday, Jan. 10, into the early morning of Thursday, Jan. 11. State police believe the shootings are gang related.
Deininger and 19-year-old Jeremiah Cleveland, of Mayfield, who was arrested last week, started off the night of Jan. 10 by breaking into a car at the Express Mini Mart on Boulevard Avenue in Scranton. They stole a wallet from the vehicle, according to Deininger's criminal complaint.
In surveillance footage, Deininger and Cleveland are seen using a credit card from the wallet two blocks away at the Convenient Food Mart, also on Boulevard Avenue. They spent $42, according to the criminal complaint.
At 11:50 p.m., a Hill Section resident called 911 to report multiple shots fired behind her home in the 400-block of Harrison Avenue. Then 8 minutes later, a South Scranton resident reported shots were fired into her home on the 300-block of Prospect Avenue.
Cleveland and Deininger were live streaming their activity on Instagram, including the first two shootings, according to court documents.
Police, who used surveillance footage to track the gray Ford Fusion Cleveland was driving, were also monitoring the livestream. Cleveland was talking about the shootings and possessing multiple firearms on the social media app. He challenged anyone with a problem to meet him in Mayfield.
At one point in the livestream, Altiriq Knott, 19, joined Instagram and told them to travel to the Hyde Park section of West Scranton, according to the criminal complaint. During the livestream Deininger said "the cops are looking for me right now and I’m still spinnin." At 4:38 a.m. Knott said he heard “hella cop cars” and saw “hella lights.”
By that time, Scranton Police were responding to the area of North Main Avenue, Swetland Street and Decker Court.
Gilmartin, Lafferty and Scranton Police Detective Jason Hyler were traveling in a black-unmarked detective car. LED light bars are mounted inside the front and rear windshield. The lights and sirens were not turned on, Powell said.
Lafferty was driving, Gilmartin was in the front seat and Hyler was in the back, according to the affidavit. They encountered Deininger on Decker Court, who, without warning, shot five times at the officers. He hit Gilmartin twice in the head above his right eye.
Lafferty returned fire, striking Deininger five times, the documents say. He attempted to flee on foot back to the Ford Fusion. He collapsed near the car and was taken into custody. Cops found a 0.38 special snub revolver nearby. Neither Deininger or Cleveland have a concealed weapons permit.
"Simply put, it was an ambush," said Powell. "And it's a miracle that only Officer Gilmartin was struck."
The officers administered critical emergency care to Gilmartin before driving him in a police cruiser to Geisinger Community Medical Center. Deininger was also given medical care on scene.
“The Scranton Police officers displayed immense bravery and professionalism throughout this entire situation," said Carroll. "The residents should take comfort knowing they have such high caliber officers protecting and serving in the city.”
Powell said they intend to aggressively prosecute these perpetrators and seek maximum penalties under the law. Cleveland was charged in connection with shootings in the city’s Hill Section and South Side. Additional charges could be forthcoming for a juvenile also involved.
“My office will have zero tolerance for any violence against a police officer," he said. "And this type of violence has no place in Lackawanna County.”
Bail was denied for both Deininger and Cleveland. Cleveland is in Lackawanna County Prison.
