SPRINGFIELD — Two 18-year-olds are facing charges after reportedly firing flares from a flare gun into a Springfield home last week.
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News Center 7 first reported on this over the weekend after obtaining a neighborhood video showing a minivan riding by a home on E. Cecil Street on Thursday night. The video shows a flash from the car that hits the house. The car drives past it and out of the camera view.
Seconds later, the car backs up to the house again, and another shot is fired, causing a large explosion and fire in the grass near a parked car.
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A police report obtained by News Center 7 shows a large fight was reported in the street on Thursday night. During the fight, a minivan attempted to leave the area quickly. While doing so, it hit multiple parked cars, and it was reported that shots were being fired from it.
Witnesses said a man known as “Taz” was hit during the fight and ran to a blue minivan, where another man got into the driver’s seat to leave.
While leaving, the witness said his car, among others, was hit by the van. He also told police he heard “what he believed to be a flare gun” being shot from the passenger side of the van into the side of a house on E. Cecil Street.
While a witness called 911, the van turned around and was heading back toward the area. A witness said he then saw two more flares being fired from the driver’s side.
While police checked the area for the van, an officer saw a van several blocks away and noticed it had damage consistent with the damage from the crash.
Officers attempted to catch up with the van and confirmed it was the blue van with a matching license plate number given to police by a witness. A traffic stop was then conducted on the van.
When officers cleared the van for safety concerns, they found a loaded orange flare gun on the floorboard.
The driver, Kristian Graves, said he and his friend “Taz” were getting jumped on E. Cecil Street and had to leave the party, but he reportedly didn’t mention firing a flare gun.
Police tried to identify his passenger, but he gave a false name. He was eventually identified as Jason Davis. A police report indicated he had “Taz” tattooed on his arm.
Graves and Davis were taken into custody and charged with attempted aggravated arson, possession of a dangerous ordinance, carrying concealed weapons, and throwing or shooting missiles.
Graves was also cited for improper backing and leaving the scene of a crash, while Davis was also charged with failure to disclose personal information and falsification.
Both men remain booked in the Clark County Jail.
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