Pocono Township Police arrest suspect in basketball court shooting

Pocono Township Police have arrested an East Stroudsburg man accused of shooting a man at the Veterans Memorial Park basketball court in June.

Esthan Edwin Estrada, 22, was arrested on Aug. 16, 2022, and charged with attempted homicide, aggravated assault, tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, and recklessly endangering others following a fight on the court.

Police stated that an argument started when one player who was associated with the victim shot an air ball and others associated with the shooter teased him. The fight escalated with insults, threats, and eventually, a large physical brawl.

Estrada and his group of five other individuals were outnumbered and losing the fight. According to police, Estrada pulled a weapon from his backpack and started shooting in the court, chasing after the victim and shooting him in the back as the victim ran away.

Naseer Chohan, owner of a Citgo gas station and business plaza located near the park, said that he contacted police after hearing the sound of gunfire from the park.

"I heard the gunshot (from) inside the store and I looked outside, and there were four or five kids. They were running around. Then I went outside to the laundromat side and saw that one guy was running, and then all of the sudden, he fell down. There were a lot of kids around over there. Four or five kids picked him up and drove him to the hospital," Chohan said.

The shooting left the victim paralyzed from the waist down.

Estrada was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Daniel Kresge on Aug. 16, and bail was denied.