Man, 24, slain on porch in South Toledo

9/14/2009

William Morris, Jr., was awakened early Sunday by gunshots at a party next door.

But more shocking for the 19-year-old Old South End resident was learning the bullet that pierced the head of a slain partygoer went through a room in Mr. Morris' house where his 2-year-old nephew was sleeping.

Steven Sattler, 24, whose address was not released, was found dead about 1:20 a.m. Sunday on the porch of the house at 344 Leland Ave. by police crews responding to a report of a person shot, Toledo police said.

“It's scary,” said Mr. Morris, 19, a recent Woodward High School graduate who lives next to 344 Leland Ave.

“The bullet went through [the victim's] head, through the window of the bedroom where my nephew was sleeping, in the wall where the mantle is, went through the wall, and exited at the stairwell,” he said.

Mr. Morris said police at the scene told him that the way the victim was standing on the porch when shot was consistent with the bullet hole in his unharmed nephew's bedroom window.

The victim was struck in the head by at least one bullet and possibly had other gunshot wounds, said Steve Kahle, a Lucas County coroner's investigator who had been called to the scene. The cause of death is pending an autopsy by the Lucas County Coroner's Office scheduled for today, Mr. Kahle said.

The victim, who was a party guest, was apparently alone on the porch when someone either drove or walked up and fired numerous shots, striking him, the coroner's investigator said.

There was no word on arrests in the case last night, and no further details about the shooting were released.

When a Blade reporter knocked on the front door at 344 Leland Sunday, people in the house refused to talk with him. A few minutes later, three young women walked out and left in a sport utility vehicle.

An empty liquor bottle and blood spots remained on the porch Sunday.

Two houses down the street, a car with a shattered rear window was parked, with glass shards littering the road next to it.

The party started at 344 Leland Ave. on Saturday night, with music blaring and partygoers spilling out onto the porch, Mr. Morris said. The last time Mr. Morris looked out was about11:30 p.m. Saturday, shortly before going to bed, he said.

“Then I was awakened by gunshots,” Mr. Morris said. “I heard maybe eight to 10 shots, then saw the cops taking a body off the porch.”

Another bullet was lodged in the Morris house's gutter, three hit another neighbor's house, and others hit a car parked at the curb nearby, Mr. Morris said, pointing out bullet holes in house walls and the car's shattered rear window.

Mr. Morris said he, his mother, his sister, and his nephew moved into their South Toledo house from Oak Street in East Toledo about 10 days ago but — because of the fatal shooting — they are considering moving again soon.

Contact Mike Sigov at:sigov@theblade.comor 419-724-6089.