NEW CUMBERLAND, W.Va. — The suspect in a Sunday shooting in Cleveland gambled at a West Virginia casino two days before the shooting, according to the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office.
Steve Stephens allegedly shot an elderly man, taking a video of the shooting and posting it to Facebook. He shot himself to death Tuesday following a chase with authorities in Pennsylvania.
According to Sheriff Ralph Fletcher, Stephens was at the Mountaineer Racetrack and Resort using his club card Friday. Footage from security cameras shows Stephens at a casino card table, wearing the same blue-stripped shirt he wore in the Facebook video.
“They notified us in case the gentleman would return, and we were on alert armed with pictures and descriptions of the vehicle,” he said.
Fletcher said the sheriff’s office did not have much involvement with the case after that, as Stephens did not return to the area.
“The casino took all the precautions they possibly could by putting pictures out to all their personnel to be on the lookout in case he came back,” he said.
According to court documents uncovered by The Plain Dealer of Cleveland, Stephens was evicted from two apartments from failure to pay rent and faced bankruptcy.
Stephens said in the Facebook video he had gambled his money away. He was regular at the Jack Cleveland Casino.