A teen and 22-year-old man exchanged gunfire in New Haven after fighting over a girl on social media, according to police.
Police said Dashaun Bowes-Ware, 22 traded jabs with a 17-year-old boy on the photo-sharing app Instagram. The two New Haven residents were arguing over a girl, and police said the teen threatened to shoot Bowes-Ware, who responded by getting a gun of his own.
The gun battle transpired around 3:45 p.m. Thursday in the area of 196 Dover Street in New Haven. Police said they found bullet casings and a Ruger .380 pistol at the scene that appears to belong to someone other than Bowes-Ware or the teen.
Bowes-Ware told police where his gun was hidden, and detectives searched the area to find a Sig Sauer P229 9mm handgun, according to police.
The teen told investigators he was armed only with a BB gun but police “don’t find his whole story credible,” according to New Haven police spokesman Officer David Hartman. Authorities could not track down the teen’s gun.
Both the teen and Bowes-Ware are charged with criminal attempt to commit first-degree assault, carrying a pistol without a permit, unlawful discharge of a firearm and first-degree reckless endangerment.
The teen was taken to the Juvenile Detention Center in Bridgeport and Bowes-Ware was brought to the Union Avenue Detention Center, according to police. Authorities are continuing to investigate and said they expect to make additional arrests.
