Jan. 14—A man fatally shot at a residence in Avoca Borough over the weekend was on state parole for a firearm conviction in 2016.
Robert Frank Solo, 67, suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his foot during a domestic dispute inside his residence in the 800 block of Main Street, Avoca, on Jan. 6, 2016, according to court records.
Police recovered a .357-caliber revolver hidden in a garbage can next to the residence after Solo shot himself in the foot, court records from 2016 say.
Police in those 2016 court records say Solo was prohibited from owning, carrying and possessing a firearm due to a murder conviction in the State of New York.
Information about Solo’s New York murder conviction could not be obtained Tuesday.
Solo pled guilty to illegal possession of a firearm and was sentenced Aug. 16, 2017, by Luzerne County Judge Joseph F. Sklarosky Jr. to four-to-eight years in state prison.
Records from the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections say Solo was released on parole on March 21, 2022.
Police in Avoca including the Pennsylvania State Police at Wilkes-Barre responded to reports of a shooting at a residence on Main Street, Avoca, at approximately 4 a.m. Saturday.
The shooting resulted in the death of Solo, according to a news release from District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce.
An autopsy by forensic pathologist Dr. Charles Siebert revealed Solo died from multiple gunshot wounds. The manner of death was ruled a homicide by the coroner’s office.
Sanguedolce stated in the news release the investigation remains active and the shooting was not random.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the Pennsylvania State Police, Troop P, Wilkes-Barre at 570-821-4110.