Non-fatal injuries 3 Date 9 March 2016 | Participant 2 Location Wilkinsburg | |
 | ||
Weapons 7.62mm rifle.40-caliber pistol Suspected perpetrators Cheron SheltonRobert Thomas Total number of deaths 6 (including an unborn baby) | ||
March 9 2016 wilkinsburg shooting
On March 9, 2016, six people were killed and three others injured in a mass shooting at a suburban house in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh. Two men, Cheron Shelton and Robert Thomas, have been charged in connection with the deadly massacre. One of the slain victims was a pregnant woman, and her unborn baby, who also died, was added to the number of fatalities on the day after the shooting.
Contents
Shooting
The shooting occurred while the victims were in the process of conducting a backyard party. About fifteen people were in attendance at the time. According to officials, shortly before 11:00 p.m., one gunman who was situated in a nearby alley fired shots from a .40-caliber pistol and forced several people onto the back porch. The other gunman, equipped with a 7.62 mm caliber rifle and situated in the yard of an adjacent residence, then ambushed them as they tried to enter the house through a backdoor and shot the victims. Afterwards, the gunmen fled the scene on foot.
Witnesses reported hearing 30–40 gunshots; a total of 48 shell casings were recovered from the scene. Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala described the shooting as a "planned and calculated" attack. He added that he believed one or two of the victims may have been targeted and the rest were collateral damage. A $20,000 reward for information on the shooting was announced by officials.
Victims
Four people died at the scene and a fifth died after being taken to UPMC Mercy. On March 10, the eight-month-old fetus of one of the victims was added to the list of fatalities, bringing the death toll to six. The victims are:
Three others were injured in the shooting. Two of them, both men, were in critical condition, while the third, a woman, was treated and released.
Suspects
On June 23, Zappala announced that charges were being filed against Cheron Shelton (no relation to Jerry and Tina Shelton) and Robert Thomas, who had long been considered prime suspects. Their target was Lamont Powell, one of the injured victims. He was targeted as revenge for his suspected role in the 2013 murder of Shelton's friend, Calvin Doswell, in Pittsburgh's Lincoln-Lemington neighborhood.
Reactions
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf issued a statement, offering support and assistance in the investigation. U.S. Representative Keith Rothfus called the shooting a "senseless act of violence" and expressed his condolences to the families of the victims. U.S. Senator Bob Casey, Jr. issued a statement urging more action to be taken against the issue of gun violence.