One dead in Newark after early morning shooting, 4 persons of interest sought

NEWARK - A man died early Saturday morning after a shooting on the first block of Cherry Street and police are searching for four "subjects of interest."

This marks the first homicide within the city of Newark since 2014.

Licking County 911 Center records show medics and police were dispatched to 70 Cherry Street just after 2:45 a.m. Saturday.

Newark Police Chief Barry Connell said officers found 48-year-old David Barcus, who had suffered a gunshot wound.

Barcus was taken by squad to Licking Memorial Hospital where he died.

Misty Queen, who lives across the street, said she and her husband heard one gunshot, followed by two more. They saw a man who lived at the home taken on a stretcher to the hospital.

Connell said the case is being investigated as a homicide and detectives have been working for hours, interviewing witnesses who were inside the home and other witnesses in the area.

Barcus lived at the home where the shooting took place, Connell said.

Police have obtained surveillance footage and detectives believe they have identified a suspect vehicle.

At least four subjects were seen on video leaving the scene on foot, Connell said.

Connell said all four are subjects of interest police would like to speak to. However, detectives believe, at this point in the investigation, at least one, maybe two, of the subjects had no direct involvement and/or no prior knowledge.

Police are "strongly encouraging" those individuals to call Newark Police at 740-349-1501 or Detective Steve Vanoy at 740-670-7928.

Police were on the scene until around 8:45 a.m. Saturday searching for evidence and running a metal detector in the snow.

Connell said there is no reason at this point in time to believe Saturday's shooting is connected to a shooting on Tuesday night on Union Street.