BEAVER, Pa. -- A man suspected of shooting Aliquippa High School basketball standout Herb Pope turned himself in to police early Tuesday morning.

Marcus Longmire, 19, was accompanied by his sister and several other people when he surrendered at the Beaver County Jail at about 2 a.m., according to Aliquippa police.

Pope, 18, was shot four times at a party in the 800 block of Eighth Avenue Friday night, police said. He is recovering after surgery at UPMC Presbyterian hospital in Pittsburgh.

Longmire, of Pittsburgh, is charged with attempted homicide, aggravated assault, simple assault and a firearms violation. He's being held on $500,000 bond.

Police said Longmire shot Pope after the two got in a fight at the party.

"Someone wanted a ride, and the person who owned this car didn't want to give this individual a ride," said Chief Ralph Pallante of the Aliquippa Police Department. "That's how silly this was, over a ride."

Police said Pope's height might have been a factor in the shooting.

"When you're 6 feet 9 inches, when you have an athletic reputation in front of you, of course you're going to be a target," said Pallante.

Teammates who have visited Pope said he is doing well.

"He was in good spirits," said Sgt. Don Couch of the Aliquippa Police Department. "He definitely was very cooperative in this investigation and wants justice served."

Pope is one of the Top 50 high school basketball players in the country. He has been recruited to play at New Mexico State.

"I hope he does get better," said Aliquippa student Darnar Ellis. "I heard he was getting better. He's stepping up."

The school had counselors on hand Monday morning for students who were coping with the shooting of their classmate.

"If there are students stressed over this, then we have trained individuals to work with them," said Superintendent John Thomas, adding that he expects Pope back on campus by the end of the school year.

---

Related Links:
More Beaver County News

RSS Headlines | Breaking News Alerts

---