Fugitives list gains drive-by suspect

A 23-year-old native Haitian suspected in the drive-by shooting deaths of a New Jersey athlete and a 4-year-old girl has been added to the U.S. Marshals Service’s list of “15 Most Wanted” fugitives.

Luxon Coriolan, described as a gang member, is accused in the Aug. 20, 2003, shotgun killing of Flynn Myers, 21, an East Orange, N.J., athlete who threw himself between a drive-by shooter and two young children in an attempt to shield the children. He and one child, Naviaon Hyppolite, were fatally struck.

Deputy U.S. Marshal Mike Schroeder said a massive regional manhunt was started after the killing.

According to police reports, a gold Acura drove near a group of people in front of a building in East Orange, and a person identified as Mr. Coriolan aimed and fired a shotgun at the group. A friend of Mr. Myers also was wounded.

East Orange police said an argument had taken place between the gunman and an unidentified person earlier in the day near the shooting site. The suspect, they said, had vowed to return later.

An arrest warrant has been issued for Mr. Coriolan, who has been charged with murder and wounding a third bystander during the shooting. The Haitian national has two prior warrants involving criminal sexual contact with a minor and kidnapping. Police said he has a substantial criminal record that includes a felony conviction, probation violations, and charges relating to weapons, drugs and aggravated assault.

Mr. Coriolan is a black man from East Orange. He is 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighs 135 pounds. He has brown eyes and black hair worn in dreadlocks or braids, and he often sports facial hair. He is a member of the Haitian OutLaws street gang and has an “H.O.L.” tattoo on the left arm, and a raised scar on the right side of his face.

The U.S. Marshals Service joined the case after a formal request from the FBI and is being directed by warrants-squad deputies in New Jersey. Although Mr. Coriolan has lived in New Jersey, he also has ties to Haitian communities in Pennsylvania, Florida and Canada, as well as in his native land.

The Marshals Service’s “15 Most Wanted” list focuses national and international law-enforcement attention on violent and major criminal fugitives. Last month, three fugitives on the list were apprehended in this country, and one was captured in Jamaica.

People with information about the whereabouts of Mr. Coriolan should call 973/424-6102, or contact the Marshals Service at www.usmarshals.gov.