Man charged in Schenectady shootings

PHOTOGRAPHER: Peter R. Barber

Schenectady police officers look for shell casings at the scene of shootings at 1311 State St. late Saturday.

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One of the two people injured in a Saturday night shooting has now been charged with the crime, police said Monday.

Police believe the shooting was not intentional and the man was possibly playing with the gun when it went off.

Charged is 25-year-old Jose Medina of Rockland. He faces one count each of first-degree assault, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and first-degree reckless endangerment, all felonies.

Medina is accused of injuring himself and a 23-year-old woman with a single shot. Medina was hit in the hand and the woman was struck in the abdomen. Both were expected to survive.

The assault count was apparently upgraded to first-degree assault because of the nature of the woman’s injuries.

Police were called to 1311 State St. shortly after 11 p.m. Saturday for a shooting. The call initially came in as a drive-by attack, police said, but upon further investigation they found that the shooting actually happened inside the address.

Police spokesman Sgt. Adriel Linyear said authorities believe the shooting was accidental, but reckless.

“There was a gun in the situation, it was being handled recklessly and two people were shot as a result of it,” Linyear said.

If convicted of the first-degree assault count, Medina could face up to 25 years in state prison.