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Uniontown man shot multiple times on street; police seek suspect | TribLIVE.com
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Uniontown man shot multiple times on street; police seek suspect

Liz Zemba
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Evan Sanders | Trib Total Media
The scene outside Esther's Tavern along Austin Street in Uniontown where Brandon Epps, 22, of Uniontown, was shot multiple times on Thursday, May 14, 2015.
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Evan Sanders | Trib Total Media
The scene outside Esther's Tavern along Austin Street in Uniontown where Brandon Epps, 22, of Uniontown, was shot multiple times on Thursday, May 14, 2015.
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Evan Sanders | Trib Total Media
Pennsylvania State Police at Uniontown and Uniontown City Police work the scene along Collins Avenue where authorities believed a man barricaded himself in a home after a shooting outside Esther's Tavern along Austin Street in Uniontown where Brandon Epps, 22, of Uniontown, was shot multiple times on Thursday, May 14, 2015.
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Evan Sanders | Trib Total Media
Curtis Conyer, at the scene along Collins Avenue where authorities believed a man barricaded himself in a home after a shooting outside Esther's Tavern along Austin Street in Uniontown where Brandon Epps (Conyer's brother), 22, of Uniontown, was shot multiple times on Thursday, May 14, 2015.
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Evan Sanders | Trib Total Media
Terri Frezzell, at the scene along Collins Avenue where authorities believed a man barricaded himself in a home after a shooting outside Esther's Tavern along Austin Street in Uniontown where Brandon Epps (Frezzell's son), 22, of Uniontown, was shot multiple times on Thursday, May 14, 2015.
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Evan Sanders | Trib Total Media
Pennsylvania State Police at Uniontown and Uniontown City Police work the scene along Collins Avenue where authorities believed a man barricaded himself in a home after a shooting outside Esther's Tavern along Austin Street in Uniontown where Brandon Epps, 22, of Uniontown, was shot multiple times on Thursday, May 14, 2015.
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Evan Sanders | Trib Total Media
Pennsylvania State Police at Uniontown and Uniontown City Police work the scene along Collins Avenue where authorities believed a man barricaded himself in a home after a shooting outside Esther's Tavern along Austin Street in Uniontown where Brandon Epps, 22, of Uniontown, was shot multiple times on Thursday, May 14, 2015.
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Evan Sanders | Trib Total Media
Payton Smith, 22, of Uniontown awaits confirmation to return home after Pennsylvania State Police at Uniontown and Uniontown City Police entered the home along Collins Avenue where authorities believed a man barricaded himself in a home after a shooting outside Esther's Tavern along Austin Street in Uniontown where Brandon Epps, 22, of Uniontown, was shot multiple times on Thursday, May 14, 2015.
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Evan Sanders | Trib Total Media
Uniontown City Police and state police wait outside a Collins Avenue home in the city where they thought a suspect in a shooting was barricaded on Thursday, May 14, 2015.
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Tommy Stargell is wanted by Uniontown Police for attempted homicide in the May 14, 2015, shooting of Brandon Epps.

Uniontown police forced their way into a house but didn't find a suspect who they believed had barricaded himself there after shooting a man multiple times outside a bar Thursday morning.

Tommy Tase “Man Man” Stargell Jr., 20, is charged with attempted homicide, aggravated assault, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, simple assault with a deadly weapon, reckless endangerment and a weapons violation.

A warrant has been issued for Stargell's arrest.

In a criminal complaint, Detective Donald Gmitter said Stargell shot Brandon Epps, 22, in the left leg and wrist, lower back and right thigh just after 11 a.m. at the corner of Austin Street and Collins Avenue.

Epps told police he and another man, Trenton Branch, had just left Byer's Market on Connellsville Street and were walking to Esther's Tavern when Stargell approached them.

Epps said Stargell, who was upset with him over a woman, angrily yelled, “What's up?”

“Epps said immediately after he asked him ..., Stargell shot him,” Gmitter wrote in the complaint.

One bullet shattered Epps' right femur, police said. Police said Epps was flown to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, but Epps' family said he was taken to a Pittsburgh hospital.

District Attorney Jack Heneks said city and state police, along with other law enforcement officers, surrounded a home on Collins Avenue, where Stargell was thought to be hiding. The house is about a block from Esther's Tavern on Austin Avenue.

Police used a bullhorn to urge Stargell to surrender. When no one responded, they forcibly entered the house about 2 p.m., but Heneks said they found no one inside.

Epps' mother, Terri Frezzell, said her son was taken to UPMC Presbyterian in Pittsburgh for treatment of three gunshot wounds.

“I'm told they are just making sure nothing is in the main arteries of his leg,” Frezzell said.

Frezzell, who was at the scene of the standoff, said she was making travel arrangements to go to the hospital to be with her son.

Epps' brother, Curtis Conyer, said his brother was in stable condition.

“I'm not sure of the reason (the shooting) happened,” Conyer said.

Conyer said Epps was on the street talking with other people when the shooting occurred.

Conyer, a Marine Corps veteran who did tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, expressed frustration with the violence in Uniontown since he returned in 2012.

“This stuff has got to stop. It's just a bunch of nonsense,” Conyers said.

Stargell is formerly of New Brighton, Beaver County, according to court records. He was convicted in Fayette County for burglary, criminal attempt robbery, criminal conspiracy and theft for a 2010 incident in Uniontown. Sentenced to 18 to 36 months in prison in 2011, he violated parole in 2013, court records show.

Anyone with knowledge of Stargell's whereabouts is asked to call 911 or Uniontown Police.

Liz Zemba is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 412-601-2166 or lzemba@tribweb.com. Staff writer Paul Peircedcontributed to this story.