Pennsylvania
Man fatally shot in Philadelphia neighborhood
Philadelphia, PA – A man in his early 20s was fatally shot in the city’s Oxford Circle neighborhood Friday night, police said.
The victim, whose name was not released pending family notification, was shot multiple times in the 1200 block of Elbridge Street. The shooting was reported at 9:57 p.m.
The man was taken to Aria Health’s Frankford Campus and pronounced dead at 10:37 p.m.
Police reported no arrests or motive as of yesterday. More on Philadelphia Inquirer
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )9-year-old girl shot to death in York
York, PA – A 9-year-old girl was shot and killed in a drive-by shooting Sunday afternoon.Ciara Savage, of Lancaster, was in the 500 block of South Duke Street when she was shot in the back about 2:35 p.m., York County Coroner Barry Bloss said.
Darren Moore, who lives further north on the block, said he worries about his own daughter. Kids can’t be kept inside all the time, he said. But he said he frequently hears gunshots outside at night. They echo, and he said it’s hard to know where they came from, much less the reasons behind them.
“That’s pretty much commonplace,” Moore said. “A couple of times a week.”
Witnesses told police the shooter was in a red or burgundy vehicle, and an abandoned vehicle matching that description was found nearby, city police Lt. Tim Utley said. He could provide no further details about the vehicle. More on York Daily Record
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 1 so far )Police Investigating Homicide in Allentown
Allentown, PA – Police in Allentown are investigating their third homicide of 2009. It took place at about 2:15 Saturday morning, at a parking lot in the 1100 block of South Spring Garden Street. Police say they were responding to the report of a gunshot, when they found a man – 35 year old Joseph Botz, of Allentown – on the ground with a bullet wound to his upper body. Botz was taken to the Lehigh Valley Hospital, where he later died. More on WFMZ.com
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Man shot to death over game of beer pong
Bridgeport, PA – One Montgomery County, Pa. man is dead and another is behind bars after an argument sparked by a drinking game and subsequent trash talking got out of hand Friday night in Bridgeport.
Authorities Monday announced the arrest of Joseph B. Jimenez, 24, of Bridgeport, Pa. for the weekend shooting death of an acquaintance, 25-year-old Scott Riley, also of Bridgeport, over a game of beer pong.
The two men were playing a game of beer pong with others when an argument between the two broke out, according to authorities. Beer pong is a drinking game in which players attempt to throw ping pong balls into cups of beer, requiring opponents to drink the beer when the balls hit their target.
That dispute continued when the two met in an alley behind the home where they had gathered that night.
Riley mocked Jimenez by telling him “shoot me” and taunted him by saying he didn’t have the guts to do it, according to the criminal complaint.
Jimenez drew out a .40-caliber handgun he had concealed in his waistband and fired one shot that struck Riley in the neck, the complaint said. More on Phillyburbs.com
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Teen shot to death by an 18-year-old man over argument
Pittsburg, PA – The suspect, Donald Jones, 18, is being held without bail in the Allegheny County Jail in connection with the fatal shooting of Walter Boyd, 16.
Pittsburgh homicide detectives said the two had been among several youths arguing in the 600 block of Brushton Avenue when one of them pulled a pistol and began firing.
Mr. Boyd, wounded several times in the shooting, ran a short distance to Mac Can Do’s Bar at Brushton Avenue and Kelly Street. He was taken to UPMC Presbyterian, where he died. More on Post-Gazette.com
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Man shot by police while lunging for officer’s gun
Philadelphia, PA – A 28-year-old year old Logan man was killed by police yesterday during a violent confrontation with officers.
The incident began about 1 p.m. when the patrolman, Officer Richard DeCoatsworth, asked a group of people to move from the corner of Warnock Street and Lindley Avenue. That’s when Anthony Temple, whose mother described him as schizophrenic, confronted DeCoatsworth and lunged for his gun, police sources said.
During a struggle, DeCoatsworth’s gun went off, striking Temple, who then ran off, according to sources.
As Temple fled down Lindley, he encountered Officer Sean Boyle, who works for neighborhood services, police sources said. A second confrontation unfolded, with Temple grabbing Boyle’s gun as the two struggled. An officer from the 35th District, James Kelly, arrived as backup and shot Temple, who collapsed and was pronounced dead at the scene by medics a short time later. More on Philadelphia Inquirer
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Man shot to death over argument by a passing motorist
Erie, Pennsylvania – A man was shot and killed on Erie’s east side Saturday night when he stepped away from a backyard cookout and argued with a passing motorist.
Erie police were called to East 20th Street at about 8:10 p.m. Officers at the scene said the man was unconscious when they got there.
Police arrested the suspected gunman at the scene. Foulk said the shooting was the result of “a road rage thing. A traffic dispute.”
Witnesses said the gunman got out of his car when the other man shouted something to him as the gunman passed the backyard of the white house at 2003 Franklin Ave. Several people, including a number of young children, were in the yard having a party, said one witness, who did not want to give his name. More on Erie Times
Man kills ex-girlfriend and self in Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA, PA – Philadelphia court clerk taking her 11-year-old daughter to school was slain this morning when her ex-boyfriend opened fire on her car in West Oak Lane before killing himself with a bullet to the head, police said.
The victim’s daughter was not physically harmed but her screams echoed through the neighborhood of neat two-story rowhomes long after the gunfire fell silent.
Neighbors identified the slain woman as Angela Jefferys, 35, a hard-working single mother of three.
City records show that she worked as a $39,000-a-year court clerk.
The 45-year-old gunman, whose name was not immediately released, had been the woman’s boyfriend until a recent break-up, investigators said. Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )
Half brother shot to death in dispute
Allegheny, PA – Police in Blair County are investigating a shooting death in Allegheny Township involving two brothers.
Police arrested 22-year-old Brandon Ott of Duncansville late Friday night. Ott is facing charges for the death of his half brother 26-year-old John Purcell III of Lancaster.
The shooting happened at a house on Deerfield Drive around 11:30 p.m. Police said the brothers were fighting when Ott went into his room to get a pistol and can of pepper spray. Ott came out of the room and sprayed Purcell in the face. Police said the Purcell grabbed the gun and it discharged.
The Blair County Coroner said Purcell died of a gun shot wound to the head. Ott is in the Blair County Prison facing charges of involuntary manslaughter and recklessly endangering another person.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Pittsburgh Gunman Kills 3 Police Officers
PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania — A gunman wearing a bulletproof vest and “lying in wait” opened fire on officers responding to a domestic disturbance call Saturday, killing three of them and turning a quiet Pittsburgh street into a battlefield, police said.
Police Chief Nate Harper said the motive for the shooting isn’t clear, but friends said the gunman recently had been upset about losing his job and feared the Obama administration was poised to ban guns.
Richard Poplawski, 23, met officers at the doorway and shot two of them in the head immediately, Harper said. An officer who tried to help the two also was killed.
Poplawski, armed with an assault rifle and two other guns, then held police at bay for four hours as the fallen officers were left bleeding nearby, their colleagues unable to reach them, according to police and witnesses. More than 100 rounds were fired by the SWAT teams and Poplawski, Harper said.
The three slain officers were Eric Kelly, 41, Stephen Mayhle, 29, and Paul Sciullo III, 37. Kelly had been on the force for 14 years, Mayhle and Sciullo for two years each. Another officer, Timothy McManaway, was shot in the hand and a fifth broke his leg on a fence.
Poplawski had gunshot wounds in his legs but was otherwise unharmed because he was wearing a bulletproof vest, Harper said. He was charged with three counts of homicide, aggravated assault and a weapons violation.
The shooting occurred just two weeks after four police officers were fatally shot in Oakland, Calif., in the deadliest day for U.S. law enforcement since Sept. 11, 2001. The officers were the first Pittsburgh city officers to die in the line of duty in 18 years.
“This is a solemn day and it’s a very sad day in the city of Pittsburgh,” Harper said. “We’ve seen this kind of violence happen in California. We never would think this kind of violence would happen in the city of Pittsburgh.”
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Teenager murdered in robbery
PHILADELPHIA, PA – On January 20, 17-year-old Dwayne Canty was walking to a store to buy food for his mother, just moments after he had cashed a paycheck. Investigators said that’s when a killer ambushed him, shooting him multiple times and stealing the money.
It happened on the southwest corner of Newkirk Street and Susquehanna Avenue in the city’s Strawberry Mansion section.
The teen’s neighbor, 19-year-old Isaiah Lassiter, of the 2100 block of N. Newkirk Street, was arrested and charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder, robbery and violations of the Uniform Firearms Act. More on myFoxPhilly.com
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )
Gun Deaths in the United States 