During a news conference Thursday afternoon police said six people — five adults and an unborn child — were killed when two gunman using an AK47 assault rifle and a .40 caliber pistol opened fire into the group during a party in the Pittsburgh suburb of Wilkinsburg shortly before 11 p.m. Wednesday. Two men remain hospitalized in critical condition and one woman was treated and released.
The unborn child was eight months old Allegheny County Police Superintendent Charles Moffatt said. Three of the four women and the man were pronounced dead at the scene, and the fourth woman died after being taken to an area trauma center.
Moffatt added that police are still investigating the shooting and while no suspects have been named, it is believed that two men are involved.
Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr, who visited the shooting scene Thursday morning said the shooting was planned and the worst he has seen during his 18 years as district attorney. “The murders were planned, they were calculated, brutal,” he said.
As many as 15 people are believed to have been in the backyard when the shooting started and at least one small child was inside the home, who was unharmed.
While no official motive has been released by officials, Zappala said that one or possibly two of the victims may have been targeted by the shooters. Despite that no drugs were found in the house Zappala said that drugs or retaliation have not been ruled out as possible motives.
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victims as Jerry Shelton, 35; Tina Shelton, 37; Brittany Powell, 27; Chanetta Powell, 25; and Shada Mahone, 26.. Moffatt said during Wednesday’s news conference that the medical examiner determined that “most of the victims suffered multiple wounds.”
Zappala said that most of the victims who were shot on the porch, were shot in the head. “It wasn’t like he was squeezing shot, after shot, after shot—it was very calculated,” he added describing the actions of the gunman near the porch.
Officials believe that two gunman approached the rear of 1304 Franklin Avenue from an alleyway and took up positions at different corners. The gunman at the rear of the yard opened fire into the group causing them to flee to the back porch, where the second gunman firing the AK47 shot several of the victims from less than 10 feet away, as they tried to flee into the house, but were blocked by the male victim who police say was shot first.
In total 49 shell casings, 31 from the AK47 and 18 from the .40 caliber handgun were recovered said Moffat.
“This is a very quiet neighborhood,” resident Pamela Macklin, 70, told Digital Journal. Macklin who lives on the street behind the shooting scene said that as far as she knew police had not been to the house before.
Wilkinsburg City Councilman Patrick Shattuck said he was notified of the shooting shortly after ending a council meeting.
Calling the shooting an “isolated incident” Shattuck added “This is a terrible tragedy and not what we normally see in this neighborhood.”
Anyone who may have information concerning the shooting is urged to call the U.S. Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms at 1-800-ATF-GUNS (1-800-283-4867) or email the ATF at atftips@atf.gov.
