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PLYMOUTH — Hours after Tierees Owens was fatally shot outside a sports bar early Thursday, state police allegedly identified the gunman.
An arrest warrant was issued for Kyon Dane McDonald, 34, charging him with criminal homicide in Owens’ death.
Owens, 33, was shot multiple times outside Robby Nick’s Sports Bar at East Main Street and Washington Avenue at about 2:30 a.m. He was transported to Wilkes-Barre General Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 3:08 a.m.
State police said the altercation and shooting were recorded on surveillance cameras.
McDonald, of Blair Street, Plymouth, fled the scene, possibly driving an older model white Jeep or a gold Cadillac sedan, troopers say.
Robert Nicoletti Jr. is the owner of Robby Nick’s, according to the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.
According to a criminal complaint filed with District Judge Donald Whittaker in Nanticoke:
Nicoletti told investigators he was at Bottle Caps Bar on East Main Street when he received a call from the bartender at Robby Nick’s saying there was a disturbance involving multiple people outside the sports bar. Nicoletti claimed he walked the short distance to see what was going on.
Nicoletti said he talked with Owens while walking toward the Press Box bar on East Main Street when Owens turned around and ran toward the disturbance in front of Robby Nick’s.
Nicoletti turned around when he heard a gunshot and saw McDonald, known as “Scoob,” discharge multiple rounds at Owens.
McDonald formerly was the boyfriend of the bartender at Robby Nick’s, the complaint says.
Investigators say surveillance cameras at the sports bar recorded an altercation and McDonald discharging a handgun multiple times at Owens.
McDonald was last seen wearing a green “Sprite” T-shirt, a green baseball hat and blue jeans. He is described as being 6 feet tall and approximately 177 pounds. He remained at large as of press time.
Court records say McDonald has two DUI convictions from 2015 and another from 2013 in Luzerne County.
History
The location has had different names and at least two owners, and was once shut down for a year as a nuisance bar.
Anthony James Wisneski, 34, of Nanticoke, was fatally shot outside the tavern on July 9, 2017, when it was called RisNicks. Anthony Lamar Jackson was charged with killing Wisneski.
Jackson’s trial is scheduled to begin Oct. 29, court records say.
Jeremy Kendricks, 36, formerly of Wilkes-Barre, was convicted in May 2010 of killing Kirk Lipscomb following an altercation inside the bar Sept. 20, 2008, when it was called Bull Run Tavern. Kendricks was sentenced to 20 to 40 years in state prison.
In November 2009, when the business was called Olde Tymers Pub, authorities padlocked the doors as a nuisance bar. Under an agreement that negated a hearing in court, the owner at the time agreed to close the tavern for one year.
