Shooting at McDonald’s leaves 34-year-old man dead

LORAIN — On Monday evening, the McDonald’s on Oberlin Avenue and Meister Road was filled with customers and employees.
Then — without warning — a gunshot rang out in the restaurant. Soon after, more gunshots punctuated the air in the parking lot.
When police arrived, they found Lewis A. Turner, 34, of Lorain, dead, the victim of a gunshot wound to the chest.
Turner was the seventh homicide victim in the city this year — one more than the total for 2006.
Lorain police Sgt. Mark Carpentiere said he doesn’t know why the city is seeing more violent crimes this year.
“Things have definitely gotten a lot worse,” Carpentiere said.
A suspect, 20-year-old Terry Little, of Lorain, was taken into custody soon after Turner was shot and is being held in the Lorain County Jail on an unrelated drug charge. Police say he had a substantial amount of cocaine with him when he was arrested.
Carpentiere said Little could be charged with murder as soon as today, and additional charges could follow when the case is presented to a county grand jury.
Carpentiere said police are still trying to figure out why Little may have opened fire in the busy restaurant after spotting Turner.
What they do know is that the two men had been engaged in an ongoing disagreement when they happened across one another at the restaurant.
“It seems that Terry decided to settle the score once and for all and shot Lewis,” Carpentiere said. “We are still trying to verify what the beef was about.”
Police say Turner was shot once inside the restaurant and several more times in the parking lot.
Turner was on the ground, covered in blood, when police arrived. He was rushed to CHP Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 9:48 p.m.
County Coroner Paul Matus said Turner died of a gunshot wound to the chest. Matus would not elaborate on the number of times Turner was shot or with what caliber of gun. He conducted an autopsy Tuesday, and the results of routine toxicology tests conducted on Turner won’t be known for a few weeks.
Roughly 12 hours after the shooting, McDonald’s franchise owner Steve Payne was back at his business with little to say about what had happened the night before.
“The safety and security of my customers and employees is always a top priority,’’ Payne said via e-mail. “I am shocked by the unfortunate incident that occurred (Monday) evening and I am cooperating fully with the Lorain Police Department in their investigation.”
Turner had an extensive criminal record spanning more than 15 years, including charges ranging from felony drug possession to misdemeanor traffic violations. Carpentiere said police are not ruling out the possibility that drugs could have at the root of the problem between the two men.
Neighbor Alicia Smalley said she steered clear of Turner, whom she knew from around the neighborhood.
“It was really ‘hi’ and ‘bye,’ ” she said. “I knew about his street life and just tried to keep my distance because I didn’t want to be involved in anything. Still, I was shocked when I heard about what happened.”
Turner served two stints in Lorain Correctional Institution. The first was in 1992 when he was found guilty of aggravated trafficking in drugs and drug abuse and sentenced to 18 months, according to county court records. Then in March 1999, Turner was sent back to LCI for four years after he pleaded guilty to other drug charges.
Little’s criminal record isn’t near as extensive — his record shows misdemeanor charges for possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana.
Turner’s death comes on the heels of the Thursday slaying of a 27-year-old man who was gunned down at the corner of Elyria Avenue and East 32nd Street following an argument with another man. Gary Young Jr. had just been released from a maximum security prison, police said.
Contact Lisa Roberson at 329-7121 or lroberson@chroniclet.com.

2007 homicides in Lorain
Monday’s shooting marked the seventh homicide in the city this year, one more than in all of 2006.

* Gary Young Jr., 27, was shot and killed July 26 at the corner of Elyria Avenue and East 32nd Street following an argument with another man. Lamont Tarpley, 24, has been charged with murder.
* Jayden Davidson, an 8-month-old boy, died from severe head and brain injuries police suspect occurred while a family friend was babysitting him on the morning of June 26. Kevin Kimbrough, 24, charged with aggravated murder and could face the death penalty.
* David Kowalczyk, 43, owner of Granny D’s Pizza on East Erie Avenue, was shot and killed in the pizzeria’s kitchen June 23 during a botched robbery. Neil Simpson, 24, Scotty Parker, 26, and Richar Perry, 25, all charged with aggravated murder. Simpson, believed to be the shooter by police, could face the death penalty.
* Stephani Bernhardt, 24, was shot and killed early May 18 at Ashland Avenue and West 19th Street while a passenger in her boyfriend’s car. Case remains unsolved.
* Tammy Creak, 38, was found shot and killed March 21 at a home on Andover Court, the victim of a murder-suicide at the hand of her estranged husband, Roger Creak, 41, who later turned the gun on himself.
* Darren Grove, 41, was found shot to death Jan. 15 in front of his West 18th Street home. Case remains unsolved.

Chronicle photo
The McDonald’s restaurant at Oberlin Avenue and Meister Road in Lorain was the site of a shooting Monday.

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