Public urged to remain alert for suspect in apparent random Beaver County gas station shooting

NEW BRIGHTON, Pa. — The man who police said shot at a car at a New Brighton gas station remains on the run and faces a long list of criminal charges.

Police said a couple was in their car at a gas pump at Speedway just before 8:30 p.m. Sunday when Jalen Sims shot the car.

The bullet hit just above the windshield, but did not go through. Nobody was hurt.

Police said Sims got into the passenger seat of a tan Volkswagen, and the driver drove away.

“I think everyone’s kind of still scratching their heads on what caused this,” Beaver County District Attorney Nate Bible said.

Bible said the couple in the car didn’t know Sims.

“I think what makes this terrifying is that there doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to it,” Bible said. “It just looks like a complete random act of violence, which is scary.”

According to court documents, surveillance video from the Speedway shows Sims pacing in front of the store before grabbing a backpack out of the back seat of that car. He’s then seen taking out a gun, walking over to the couple’s SUV and shooting at it.

Police said a doorbell camera on Rochester Road in New Sewickley Township showed Sims get out of the car and throw that backpack over a hill.

The driver of the car, Bible said, was not involved in the shooting.

Police said the driver ran out of gas in a church parking lot in Cranberry and called 911.

Police said the driver told them Sims held him at gunpoint and punched him in the face, then Sims ran off when police arrived. Right now, the driver is not facing charges.

“At this time, all we really have is kind of his recounting of what happened,” Bible said. “There’s not any video or anything to show that he did anything wrong.”

One man in the area told Channel 11’s Andrew Havranek he’s keeping his guard up.

“It’s a pretty crazy world,” said Robert Strutt of North Sewickley. “You hardly feel safe getting out of your house anymore with these random shootings and things of that nature.”

Sims is not in custody. Cranberry Police put out a warning there for people to be on alert.

“From Cranberry, especially, you know, you can get on 79, get on 76. So there’s a lot of ways to get out of the state, out of the county,” Bible said. “If you spot him, you don’t approach him. Don’t try to apprehend him yourself. But if you see him, you know, call the call the local police department or the state police.”

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW