Homicide charge dismissed against Mahanoy City man charged in shooting

A 19-year-old Schuylkill County man accused in the shooting of a 16-year-old boy in Bloomsburg had the most serious felony charge of attempted homicide dropped against him, while all of his other charges were dropped in court.

Samuel C. Evans, of Mahanoy City, who was charged by Bloomsburg police in connection with the Nov. 1 incident, was scheduled to appear Tuesday for a preliminary hearing before Judicial District Judge Russell L. Lawton in Bloomsburg.

Investigators accused Evans of shooting at a group of people in the 300 block of East Street in Bloomsburg, injuring the 16-year-old victim.

Evans, who was being held in the Columbia County Jail on $500,000 bail, had his bail conditions unsecured, allowing him to be released from the jail Tuesday. The bail action was granted by Assistant Columbia County Prosecutor Erin E. Cosoleto-Miller and defense attorney William T. Whitenack Jr., according to court records.

Evans faces two counts of aggravated assault, felony carrying a firearm without a license, and misdemeanor counts of possession of a weapon, terroristic threats and reckless endangerment.

The defendant waived the charges in Columbia County Court.