A 50-year-old man was charged with attempted murder after police said a 67-year-old woman was shot inside a Canandaigua apartment Wednesday afternoon and later flown to Strong Memorial Hospital in critical condition.
The Canandaigua Police Department said officers were called to a multi-family residence on Center Street at about 2:51 p.m. June 24 for a report that someone had been shot. Officers found the woman inside her apartment with a gunshot wound to the torso.
Police said witnesses provided a description of a suspect and vehicle seen leaving the area. That information was shared with nearby law enforcement agencies, and an Ontario County sheriff’s deputy later spotted the vehicle entering the Town of Geneva on Routes 5 and 20.
When the deputy tried to stop the vehicle, the driver fled, police said. The pursuit continued into the City of Geneva and involved the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office, New York State Police and Geneva Police Department.
The vehicle later struck a utility pole and a parked vehicle on Milton Street, according to police. The suspect ran from the crash scene but was taken into custody a short distance away. Police said a loaded handgun was found inside the vehicle.
Spencer D. Wayne, 50, of Elmira, was taken back to Canandaigua and charged with second-degree attempted murder and first-degree assault. He was processed and taken to the Ontario County Jail pending arraignment in centralized arraignment court.
The victim was treated at the scene by the Canandaigua Emergency Squad and Canandaigua Fire Department before being airlifted by Mercy Flight to Strong Memorial Hospital.
Police said the investigation is ongoing and additional charges are pending.
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