What was first believed to be a traffic accident on Interstate 680 turned out to be Youngstown's first homicides of the new year.

 Youngstown police were dispatched to 680 Northbound, just past the Salt Springs Road exit, for a possible accident at 10:43 p.m. on Thursday, January 5. 
 

Once officers arrived, they found a vehicle that had been hit by gunfire. 

Youngstown police say the vehicle had been hit numerous times.

"We recovered casings roughly 300 feet from where the car was finally at its resting spot.", said Lt. Mohammad Awad with the Youngstown Police Department

 Inside the vehicle were two victims who had been shot. 
 

The 19-year-old male driver was deceased but the officers found a pulse on the 19-year-old female passenger.  She was taken to a local hospital where she later died. 

The names of the victims have not yet been released.  Officials say this was no random act of violence.

"The suspects were targeting the vehicle, they located the vehicle.  We believe they followed them, they pulled up next to the vehicle and began shooting into the vehicle.", Awad added. 

Police believe it all stemmed from a social media feud between the suspects and the male victim.  The female, who was also the passenger in the vehicle, was an innocent bystander.

Awad tells 21 News that information gathered from social media has led authorities to possible suspects, however no arrests have been made. 

Police say this incident is connected to another shooting but did not disclose which one, but confirmed this shooting had no connection with another shooting that happened the same night at Steel City Bar & Grill on East Midlothian.  

 Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (330) 746-CLUE or (330) 746-8YPD.  Tips can be left anonymously.