$5M bail for alleged getaway driver in mass shooting outside Cleveland bar
Jul 17, 2023, 11:11 AM
CLEVELAND (AP) — A second man charged in a recent downtown Cleveland mass shooting that left nine people wounded was ordered held on $5 million bail during a court hearing Monday where prosecutors said a third man was with the two suspects when the attack occurred.
Kevin Del Valle-Salaman, 24, of Lorain, did not speak during his initial court appearance, which was conducted via video conference. It wasn’t clear if he has retained a lawyer who could comment.
Prosecutors said Del Valle-Salaman drove the alleged shooter, Jaylon Jennings, 25, of Lorain, and another man from Lorain to the downtown Warehouse District in Cleveland prior to the July 9 shooting, then fled with them afterward. Del Valle-Salaman and the other man stayed in the vehicle while Jennings got out and started shooting, authorities said.
Del Valle-Salaman was arrested Saturday and faces nine counts of complicity to commit murder. Jennings, who faces nine counts of attempted murder and various weapons charges, was arrested July 11 and remains jailed on a $9 million bond. He initially was represented by a court-appointed lawyer, but it wasn’t clear Monday if he had since retained his own attorney.
It also wasn’t clear Monday if the third man played any role in the shooting or will face any charges.
Cleveland police Chief Wayne Drummond has said Jennings opened fire on a group of people who were standing outside a bar in the Warehouse District shortly before the clubs there were closing.
Seven men and two women between the ages of 23 to 38 were struck. One man’s wounds were serious, but none of the victims’ injuries are considered life-threatening, authorities said.
According to court documents, the attack occurred after Jennings saw several people inside one of the bars and retrieved a firearm from the trunk of the vehicle driven by Del Valle-Salaman, which was in a parking lot across the street. He then fired into the crowd despite police officers being nearby, authorities said.
A motive for the shooting remains under investigation.
