One dead after shooting in Elizabethtown

Apr. 1—ELIZABETHTOWN — A Port Henry man was found dead from an apparent gunshot wound on Lincoln Pond Road early Monday morning.

William E. Ball, 40, of Port Henry was found dead in his vehicle at 4829 Lincoln Pond Road at about 5:31 a.m., police said.

State Police said their preliminary investigation determined an altercation occurred on Lincoln Pond Road in the town of Elizabethtown, resulting in a shooting and the suspect fleeing into the adjacent woods.

Troopers arrived on scene and located Ball in his pickup truck. An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause and manner of death.

This investigation is ongoing, and the State Police are executing multiple search warrants to gather evidence, a release said.

Police said the shooting does not appear to be a random act of violence and there is no ongoing threat the community.

A witness saw a man run to a vehicle along Lincoln Pond Road around the time of the shooting.

It was Leigh Mitchell's usual early morning drive from her residence in Moriah to her mother's house in New Russia to drop off her 10-month-old son before heading to her job as laundry supervisor at Essex Center.

At about 5:20 a.m., while traveling Lincoln Pond Road (County Route 7) she was going past a residence owned by John Podmore and saw a man dive into the passenger side of a pickup truck which the driver then floored in reverse.

"We both slammed on our brakes," Mitchell told the Press-Republican. "I went ahead of him and I headed to my mother's and could see his headlights just behind me. It seemed like he was on my tail. As I approached the bridge going over the (Adirondack) Northway before turning on Simonds Hill Road I couldn't see his headlights anymore."

Mitchell continued, "A friend who heard about the shooting while listening on her (radio) scanner called me later and asked if I had got to work, and told me of what had gone on. I thought, 'Oh my God, that's the dude who almost hit us.' I would have really been pissed off if he would have hit my son. I am really thankful that we are OK."

Mitchell then notified State Police. "Oh, my God, I saw it before anyone else."

A man was later taken into custody at the Elizabethtown Stewart's Shop, but it's not known if it was the same man who dove into the waiting truck. The identity of the person picked up at Stewart's was not released by State Police on Monday.

Police closed Lincoln Pond Road and offshoot Simonds Hill Road about 6:30 a.m. after responding to the shooting. Both remained closed by early evening.

"The investigation is ongoing and State Police are asking for anyone who lives on Lincoln Pond Road to check their security cameras for any suspicious activity," according to the release.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to call State Police at 518-873-2777.

The investigation is being conducted by the New York State Police, Essex County District Attorney's Office, and Essex County Sheriff's Department, with assistance from State Forest Rangers. Local fire and EMS agencies also assisted.

On Google Maps 4829 Lincoln Pond Road appears to be a mostly vacant lot with some empty buildings.