Man arraigned in shooting that hit car with child inside

By NewsPress Now

A St. Joseph man pleaded not guilty to a charge of first-degree assault Friday morning in an incident where a car and a home were hit by gunfire earlier this week. 

Seth Corbitt, 20, will appear next week for a preliminary hearing on that charge and unlawful use of a weapon at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 19, in front of Associate Circuit Judge Rebecca Spencer. Bond for Corbitt has been denied and is currently held at the Buchanan County Jail.

St. Joseph police were called to 16th and Moss streets just before 3 p.m. on Sept. 10 for a shooting. When they arrived, those who were involved were gone, but police found shell casings in front of one house and a window shot out on another occupied home, according to a probable cause statement.

Shortly after, Corbitt contacted police to say he had been involved in the incident, court documents said, and officers took the gun he said he’d used to shoot at another vehicle. The driver of that vehicle told police a passenger in her car and Corbitt had exchanged shots and that there was an 8-year-old with her. Her car was hit twice by bullets, according to the probable cause statement. 

In addition, video picked up Corbitt’s car pulling up next to the parked second vehicle with about 14 shots being fired seconds later. Corbitt told police he shot at least three rounds then ducked and fired “blindly” behind him as he drove away, court documents said. 

The probable cause document also states Corbitt is a suspect or has been involved in “numerous” shootings.