Court documents obtained by Coal Region Canary provide more details regarding a shooting at the 3rd and Spruce Recreation Center in Reading on Feb. 1 that resulted in the arrest of a Schuylkill County man.
Two people were shot in the incident, including a 12-year-old boy, according to police.
Roylin Cabral-Villa, 18, of Girardville has been charged in connection with the incident. He was taken into custody last week with the help of the US Marshals Service.
Police allege Cabral-Villa fired his gun into a crowded gymnasium during a 1v1 basketball tournament there.
According to an affidavit, investigators identified Cabral-Villa through surveillance footage that allegedly captured him pulling a concealed firearm from his pocket and firing a single shot during a basketball tournament.
Police were dispatched to the rec center at 320 S. 3rd St. in Reading at about 6:30 p.m. for a reported shooting.
As they arrived on scene, police say large groups of people were fleeing the gym.
It was determined that a 1v1 basketball tournament had been taking place since 3 that afternoon and that approximately 100 people were in the gym at the time of the incident.
Surveillance footage reviewed by police allegedly shows a large fight breaking out on the south end of the gymnasium around 6:30 p.m. During the altercation, a male identified by police as Cabral-Villa, who was wearing a two-tone grey and black sweatsuit, is seen getting involved in the scuffle and falling to the ground with another male.
Police say that while on the ground, Cabral-Villa pulls a firearm from his left pocket and point it toward the crowd. The video reportedly shows a tactical mounted light on the weapon and “motions similar to recoil” as the gun is fired.
Two victims were struck by the gunfire.
One victim, a 23-year-old male, suffered a gunshot wound to his lower left arm. A second adult male victim sustained a wound through his lower left leg. Both arrived at Reading Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
One of the victims told police he was at the game with friends and family when he attempted to break up a fight. He reportedly said an unknown male tried to punch him, leading to a physical struggle. The victim told investigators he saw a male pull a gun, heard a single shot, and realized he had been hit before fleeing the building.
Video footage reportedly shows the crowd dispersing as the shot is fired, with individuals falling through doorways and at least one male appearing to get trampled in the rush. The suspect was seen running out of the southeast gym exit and down a hallway.
Police say they recovered a spent casing, a magazine with ammunition, and observed suspected blood spots throughout the gymnasium and hallway.
Cabral-Villa was identified as the shooter after police say they disseminated still images from the surveillance video to local law enforcement. A criminal investigator and a juvenile probation officer both identified the suspect based on prior interactions.
Police also say Cabral-Villa does not possess a valid permit to conceal a firearm and is ineligible to obtain one.
Cabral-Villa was taken into custody last week in Girardville and arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Priscilla Campos in Reading. He’s been charged with two first-degree felony counts of aggravated assault, and third-degree felony counts of risking catastrophe, participating in a riot, and carrying an unlicensed firearm.
He’s also facing three misdemeanor charges of reckless endangerment.
Cabral-Villa is being held at Berks County Prison on $200,000 bail.
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