2016 Wilkinsburg mass 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 shooting. One of the victims was a pregnant woman, whose unborn baby was added to the number of fatalities on the day after the shooting.

2016 Wilkinsburg shooting
Location of Pennsylvania in the United States
LocationWilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, United States
DateMarch 9, 2016
c. 11:00 p.m.
Weapons
Deaths6 (including an unborn baby)
Injured3
AccusedCheron Shelton
Robert Thomas[2]
VerdictNot guilty

Shooting

The shooting occurred while the victims were holding a backyard party at which about fifteen people were present 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, who was situated in the yard of an adjacent residence, then ambushed and shot the victims as they tried to enter the house through a backdoor. Afterwards, the gunmen fled the scene on foot.[1][3][4]

Witnesses reported hearing 30–40 gunshots;[5] a total of 48 shell casings were recovered from the scene.[6] Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala described the shooting as a "planned and calculated" attack.[4] He added that he believed one or two of the victims may have been targeted and the rest were collateral damage.[5] A $20,000 reward for information on the shooting was announced.[4]

Victims

Four people died at the scene and a fifth died after being taken to UPMC Mercy.[1][3][7][8][9] 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.[1] The victims are:[6]

  • Jerry Shelton, 35
  • Tina Shelton, 37
  • Brittany Powell, 27, sister of Jerry Shelton
  • Chanetta Powell, 25, sister of Jerry Shelton; her unborn baby was also killed
  • Shada Mahone, 26

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.[1] One survivor, 51-year-old John Ellis, died on September 15, 2020, after being taken to UPMC Mercy Hospital for complications. It was not immediately clear if the cause of death could be attributed to the shooting, which caused a spinal cord injury that left Ellis paralyzed from the waist down.[10]

Suspects

On June 23, 2016, 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.[2] The case against Robert Thomas was later dismissed.[11] Cheron Shelton was later found not guilty in the shooting.[12] Cheron Shelton later pled guilty to a charge of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.[13]

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.[6] U.S. Senator Bob Casey, Jr. issued a statement urging more action to be taken against the issue of gun violence.[3]

References
  1. Stroud, Matt; Rosenberg, Eli (March 10, 2016). "Gunmen Open Fire on Backyard Party Near Pittsburgh, Killing 5". The New York Times. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
  2. Navratil, Liz; Ward, Paula Reed (June 23, 2016). "Two charged in Wilkinsburg mass shooting". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
  3. Botelho, Greg (March 10, 2016). "6 dead, including pregnant woman, in Pennsylvania backyard shooting". CNN. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
  4. Goldstein, Andrew; Kane, Karen; Templeton, Dave; Czebiniak, Madasyn; Majors, Dan (March 10, 2016). "DA says Wilkinsburg ambush that killed six was planned, calculated, brutal". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
  5. "DA: Wilkinsburg Mass Shooting Was An 'Ambush'". CBS Pittsburgh. March 10, 2016. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
  6. "6 dead in Wilkinsburg mass shooting; Gunmen still on loose". WPXI. March 10, 2016. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
  7. O'Brien, Brendan (March 10, 2016). "At least five killed, several hurt in shooting near Pittsburgh - police". Reuters. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
  8. Jamieson, Amber; Holpuch, Amanda (March 10, 2016). "Pittsburgh shooting that left five dead carried out by two people, police say". The Guardian. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
  9. Stroud, Matt; Hauser, Christine (March 10, 2016). "Shooting That Killed 5 at Party Near Pittsburgh Was Planned, Police Say". The New York Times. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
  10. Survivor Of 2016 Wilkinsburg Mass Shooting Dies At Hospital
  11. "Wilkinsburg Mass Shooting Suspect Robert Thomas Out Of Jail After Having Case Dismissed". CBS Pittsburgh. February 4, 2020. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
  12. "Jury Finds Cheron Shelton Not Guilty In Wilkinsburg Mass Shooting Trial". CBS Pittsburgh. February 14, 2020. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  13. "Cheron Shelton, Acquitted In Wilkinsburg Mass Shooting, Pleads Guilty To Illegally Possessing Firearm". CBS Pittsburgh. December 22, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
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