Williamsport, Pa. — A deeper picture of a shooting in Williamsport emerged Monday morning after the criminal complaint against the accused was finally unsealed.
Douglas Robinson Jr. is facing attempted murder charges in the unintended shooting of a woman three years ago after DNA and ballistics testing showed Robinson fired the errant shot, according to charges.
Last month, members of the media were barred from the courtroom during an initial hearing for Robinson, and the charges against him have been sealed for two months — even after he had a preliminary hearing last week.
On Monday, the district attorney's office unsealed the complaint. Here's what police say happened:
Williamsport officers responded to a home in the 600 block of Maple Street on Oct. 12 of 2021 after children called to report a shooting. The juveniles directed police to the home where their mother had been shot.
The victim was found in an upstairs bedroom with a bullet wound, according to reports. The bullet had gone through a window before striking the victim in the head and exiting into the ceiling. The victim suffered an open depressed skull fracture, bleeding in the brain, and other significant injuries, according to investigating Agent Brittany Alexander. She had surgery to remove bullet and skull fragments from her brain, along with extensive rehabilitation, Alexander wrote.
Investigators received an anonymous tip that three gunshots were heard in the area of the shooting, according to the complaint. The tipster also said a white SUV squealed its tires and drove away quickly. Video surveillance retrieved from nearby homes showed a white SUV turn north on Campbell Street on the date of the shooting.
A second tip came into police that identified Alex Baker as the driver of the SUV, Alexander wrote in the affidavit. “Through previous contacts with Alex Baker, it is known that Baker owns a white Jeep Cherokee,” Alexander said. “The same as pictured in the video surveillance collected from the night of the incident.”
Alexander identified people associated with Baker who are all known to carry guns. Those contacts included Douglas Robinson, Jr., Lester James, and Dennis Phillips, according to Alexander. All three men have been inside Baker’s vehicle during traffic stops with Williamsport police officers.
Another identifying feature of Baker’s Jeep were the 20-inch chrome rims, police said. Those can allegedly be seen on the video as the white vehicle travels toward the 700 block of First Street, where Baker’s grandmother lives.
In November of 2021, Baker spoke with police after he was allegedly shot at in Williamsport during a different incident. Baker claimed Rahkee Connelly and Aushay Carter had issues with him, James, Robinson, and Phillips over money. Baker also told police he stopped speaking with the group and deleted all of their messages to each other, according to the complaint.
Police received a search warrant for Baker’s Jeep on Nov. 23, a week after Baker spoke with them at City Hall. Baker was stopped traveling with Robinson in the SUV, police said. After both men were out of the car, Robinson asked investigators if he could retrieve his backpack. His request was denied.
As police waited for a tow truck, Baker allegedly came out of his home and said James wanted to speak with authorities. James allegedly told them his .40 caliber Glock was under the seat Robinson was using when the car was stopped and asked if he could come get it. He was denied. He allegedly asked a second time and was denied again.
In June of 2022, law enforcement got a search warrant for Robinson’s DNA, according to the affidavit. Robinson, who was being held at the Lycoming County Prison on unrelated firearm charges, consented to the search, police said. A buccal swab was done to obtain a sample of DNA. Robinson’s sample along with the gun and shell casings were sent to the Pennsylvania Crime Lab.
In October of 2023, agents received results that showed Robinson was a contributor to DNA on the firearm, according to the complaint. Additionally, the cartridge recovered at the scene of the shooting matched the gun found in Baker’s vehicle.
In April of this year, Baker met with investigators at the Lycoming County District Attorney’s Office with a lawyer. Baker admitted to being the driver of the Jeep. Baker claimed Robinson started shooting at people "out of nowhere" while they were driving on the corner of Locust Street and Memorial Avenue. Robinson told Baker he hoped the person shot would “pull through,” Alexander said.
Robinson is being charged with criminal attempt at first degree murder, aggravated assault attempts to cause serious bodily injury, aggravated assault causing bodily injury with a deadly weapon, discharge of a firearm into an occupied structure, firearms not be carried without a license, possession of a weapon, and recklessly endangering another person, according to documents unsealed Monday morning.
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