Man Arrested After Over 15 Shots Fired on Steuben Street; Ghost Gun and Arsenal Recovered

UTICA, NY — A wild scene in Utica has led to serious charges for a 30-year-old man after police connected him to a brazen daylight shooting and an alarming weapons stash.

On June 4th, 2025, Utica Police were called to the 1500 block of Steuben Street after ShotSpotter detected more than 15 gunshots. Officers arrived to find spent shell casings scattered across the area. The case was handed over to the department’s GIVE (Gun Involved Violence Elimination) Unit.

Investigators determined the suspect had exited a local establishment and opened fire on individuals inside a vehicle before fleeing the scene. Over the following weeks, detectives worked to identify the gunman.

On June 30th, they found their suspect, 30-year-old Gil Cepeda of Utica, and conducted a traffic stop with help from the Crime Prevention Unit as well as the Utica and Oneida County Warrants Units.

Cepeda was taken into custody, and during a vehicle search, officers discovered a loaded 9mm ghost gun, six magazines (including a 50-round drum), and three additional firearms.

Cepeda now faces several charges:

• Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree

• Two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree (due to high-capacity magazines and prior convictions)

• Criminal Possession of a Firearm

• Aggravated Unlicensed Operation

Police say more charges are likely as the investigation into the shooting continues.