Items recovered by police in the shooting.

A 41-year-old city man is facing charges after shots were fired Thursday night in the vicinity of East Fifth Street and Columbus Avenue.

Dunkirk Police report that at approximately 9:37 p.m., police officers responded to several 911 calls reporting an altercation with shots fired. As officers responded, additional calls were received reporting active gunfire.

Upon arrival officers were met with several uncooperative subjects. As officers began investigating and canvassing the area several spent casings were located in the road. Information was then developed identifying the alleged suspect as Luis A. Sanchez Jr. It was learned that Sanchez was involved in an altercation with several subjects in the area and fired several rounds from a pistol during it.

Sanchez was then located in the area by officers and taken into custody. A search warrant was then applied for, and executed, on a residence in the immediate area, which resulted in the location and recovery of the alleged firearm used in the incident.

The firearm, a 9mm Springfield XD-9, which was loaded when recovered, was illegally possessed by Sanchez at the time of the incident. It also contained an illegal high capacity magazine. Sanchez was transported to city police headquarters where he was booked on charges of felony second- and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, first-degree reckless endangerment and unlawful discharge of a firearm. Sanchez was later arraigned in Dunkirk City Court and remanded to CCJ on $10,000 bail.

Luis Sanchez Jr.

City police were assisted by the Dunkirk Police Detective Bureau, the Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force, Fredonia Police, and the Chautauqua County District Attorney’s Office. The investigation is ongoing and anyone with knowledge of the incident is asked to contact the Dunkirk Police at 716-366-2266 or the confidential tip line at 716-363-0313.