Warren Convenience Store Shooting: Third Man Indicted

WARREN, OH – A seemingly simple dice game outside a Convenient Food Mart erupted into deadly gunfire August 3rd, and now a third man is facing federal charges. The shooting left one man dead and another wounded, and the investigation continues to unravel a web of criminal activity in Trumbull County.

Sean King, 37, of Warren, Ohio, was indicted by a federal grand jury this week, charged with being a felon in possession of ammunition. This isn’t King’s first brush with the law. Court records show he was previously convicted in 2022 of conspiracy to distribute cocaine base (crack), fentanyl, fentanyl analogues and heroin, as well as distribution of heroin and fentanyl. The feds aren’t playing around here.

King joins Jumal Ellis Rowe, 32, and Rayjon Ray McElroy, 25, both also of Warren, who were previously charged in connection with the shooting. Rowe is accused of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, with prior convictions for trafficking cocaine in 2013 and possession of cocaine in 2020. McElroy faces charges of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person, stemming from a domestic violence conviction in 2022. It’s a pattern – repeat offenders fueling the violence on these streets.

According to investigators, the Warren Police Department and Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of shots fired at the Convenient Food Mart around 5 a.m. Surveillance footage revealed a group loitering and gambling before a fight broke out, quickly escalating into a full-blown shootout in the parking lot. The scene was chaotic, and the aftermath, tragic. The investigation involved painstaking review of surveillance footage and evidence gathering at the scene.

If convicted, King, Rowe, and McElroy each face a potential 15-year federal prison sentence. However, the final sentence will be determined by the court, taking into account each defendant’s criminal history, their specific role in the shooting, and the details of the offense. This isn’t just about guns; it’s about a cycle of violence and the consequences of choosing a life of crime.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Youngstown Field Office led the investigation, working alongside the Warren Police Department and the Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Yasmine Makridis and Kevin E. Bringman for the Northern District of Ohio. An indictment is not proof of guilt, and each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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