CT man charged after reportedly threatening man in Marshalls parking lot, shooting himself during struggle

An Ansonia man was charged in connection with a shooting in a Marshalls parking lot in Ansonia last month, police said.

Jonathan Javier Martinez was arrested on a warrant Tuesday and charged with reportedly holding a gun to another man’s neck in the parking lot on June 22 because he thought the man said something to him as he drove by, according to the Ansonia Police Department.

Multiple people called 911 to report gunshots in the parking lot of a Rite Aid and Marshalls at 407 Main St. about 6:30 p.m. on June 22 and officers arrived at the scene to find Martinez suffering from a gunshot wound. He was taken to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

Investigators allege that Martinez, 24, thought the other man said something to him as he drove by on Main Street. He then reportedly followed the man into the store where he confronted him and demanded to see his car, according to police.

Both men went to the parking lot where Martinez allegedly threatened the other man and held a gun against his neck. As they struggled over the gun, Martinez fired two shots, striking himself in the leg and striking the man’s car, police said.

Martinez was charged with first-degree attempted assault, first-degree threatening, carrying a pistol without a permit and first-degree reckless endangerment, according to police. He was being held in lieu of a $300,000 bond and was scheduled to appear in court in Derby on Tuesday, police said.