The Times Herald (Norristown, PA)
Suspect in fatal shooting in Norristown caught
Eugene ‘Roc’ Ware, 41, apprehended after brief standoff in East Rockhill Township, Bucks County
NORRISTOWN >> A man wanted for the alleged Nov. 21 fatal shooting of another man in Norristown was apprehended by authorities after a brief standoff at a Bucks County residence.
Eugene “Roc” Ware, 41, of the 7900 block of Langdon Street, Philadelphia, was taken into custody Wednesday morning by the Central
Bucks Special Response Team with assistance from detectives from Montgomery and Bucks counties at an East Rockhill Township residence.
Ware’s apprehension was announced by Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele, Bucks County District Attorney Matt Weintraub and Norristown Police Chief Derrick Wood.
“We are pleased that this dangerous criminal who shot and killed a man walking down the street is now behind bars,” Steele said. “Thank you to the Central Bucks Special Response Team and Bucks County detectives for their significant assist in getting Ware into custody while protecting the surrounding community, including safeguarding nearby schools with a protective lockdown.”
Ware was scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday afternoon on charges of first and third-degree murder, firearms not to be carried without a license, persons not to possess a firearm and possessing instruments of crime in connection with the Nov. 21, 2022, fatal shooting of Tyrone Guy in the 900 block of West Main Street in Norristown.
Ware will be held at the county jail without bail while awaiting a preliminary hearing on the charges.
According to a news release issued by the Pennridge Regional Police Department, at 9 a.m. Wednesday, the department responded to the 600 block of Deer Run Road in East Rockhill to assist Montgomery County detectives “with the service
of a search warrant in relation to a homicide investigation.” The Central Bucks Special Response Team assisted in securing the home so the search warrant could be served, according to the release.
“Once on location it was determined that the suspect of the homicide was located inside the residence. Negotiators from the Central Bucks Special Response Team were able to have the suspect peacefully exit the home,” officials wrote in the release, adding the suspect was taken into custody and handed over to Montgomery County detectives.
When authorities determined the suspect was in the home, officials decided to lock down the North Middle School and Pennridge High School, according to the release.
“This decision was made based on the proximity of the incident to the schools. The lockdown lasted for approximately an hour,
at no time was there a threat to the students of either school. This decision was made based on an abundance of caution,” Pennridge police officials wrote in the release that was posted on the department’s Facebook page.
The homicide investigation began about 10 p.m. Nov. 21 when Norristown police responded to the West Main Street location for reports of shots fired and found Guy, 35, of the 500 block of Noble Street, on a sidewalk suffering from gunshot wounds to his lower extremities, according to the criminal complaint filed by county Detective Gregory Henry and Norristown Detective William Klinger. Guy was transported to Einstein Hospital in Philadelphia where he was pronounced dead at 2:19 a.m. Nov. 22.
An autopsy determined Guy’s cause of death was a gunshot wound to his lower left extremity and the manner
of death was ruled homicide.
While processing the scene, detectives recovered two fired cartridge casings, one from a .40-caliber Smith & Wesson and the other from a 9mm Luger, as well as three cellphones, including an iPhone belonging to the victim. That iPhone, detectives said, was actively recording video when officers found it and they stopped the recording and preserved the cellphone for further examination, according to court documents.
When detectives analyzed Guy’s cellphone they found a video depicting a confrontation with a man later determined to be Ware, seconds before the shooting occurred, according to the criminal complaint.
“The recording captures the audio and video portion of the confrontation,” Henry and Klinger alleged in the criminal complaint.
In the recording, Ware, as he paced in front of the victim, can be heard stating, “You tryin’ to record me? Yo that’s some cop damn s*** to do,” according to the criminal complaint. Guy can be heard stating, “What you up to?” according to court documents.
“During that exchange, Ware appears to be concealing something behind his back in his right hand,” Henry and Klinger alleged, adding that as the exchange concluded Ware swung his left hand at Guy, knocking Guy’s cellphone to the ground.
Immediately after the phone is knocked from the victim’s hand a gunshot is heard, followed several seconds by a second gunshot, detectives alleged.
“This video clearly depicts the face of Eugene Ware and captures his tattoos, wrist watch and the black winter jacket he is wearing,” Henry and Klinger alleged, adding
the jacket Ware was wearing had a distinct red and white emblem on the left breast area.
The investigation determined the jacket was linked to a brand of clothing modeled and sold by Ware online through his Instagram account, according to court documents.
A check of Pennsylvania State Police records revealed that Ware was under the supervision of state police and on parole from a 5 to 10 year sentence on weapons charges out of Philadelphia, according to court documents. Additionally, Ware previously was sentenced to 5 years’ consecutive probation for carrying firearms in public in Philadelphia, according to the criminal complaint.
Ware’s criminal history dates back to 2001 and includes numerous arrests by police departments in Norristown and Philadelphia, according to court documents.