A shooting on Pittsburgh’s North Side that took place in the early hours of Easter Sunday left at least two dead and a number of others wounded.
According to reports from local law enforcement, the shooting took place around 12:30 a.m. local time at an AirBNB rental property in Deutschtown, Pittsburgh’s East Allegheny neighborhood.
The Associated Press reported:
Shots fired at a house party in Pittsburgh early Sunday left two minors dead and at least nine more people injured, police said.
The shooting happened around 12:30 a.m. during a party at a short-term rental property where there were more than 200 people inside — many of them underage, Pittsburgh police said in a news release. At least 11 people were being treated for gunshot wounds and two male victims died at the hospital, police said.
Pittsburgh police confirm two juveniles have died and at least nine other people were shot overnight at a party at an AirBnB. At least 50 shots were fired. https://t.co/SivEK05qiq
— WTHR.com (@WTHRcom) April 17, 2022
Pittsburgh Public Safety Spokeswoman Cara Cruz said that in addition to gunshot wounds, several people suffered from injuries sustained while attempted to flee the scene — a few breaking bones as they jumped from the windows.
She noted that as officers arrived on the scene, they saw people “running and driving away from the scene” even as more shots were being fired in the vicinity.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Julian Routh shared a number of updates from local law enforcement, noting that the building had previously been rented out for parties without any major incident and that police had actually been on the property prior to the shooting.
A video of the incident appeared to show a party attendee shouting, "He's got a gun!" and urging others to head for the doors.
What sounded like a # of rapid gunshots could be heard shortly after as attendees — packed shoulder to shoulder, many screaming — rushed to exit.
— Julian Routh (@julianrouth) April 17, 2022
“A video of the incident appeared to show a party attendee shouting, “He’s got a gun!” and urging others to head for the doors,” Routh tweeted. “What sounded like a # of rapid gunshots could be heard shortly after as attendees — packed shoulder to shoulder, many screaming — rushed to exit.”
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey, at home because he was diagnosed Friday with COVID-19, responded to the shooting in a statement.
“First and foremost, our hearts and our prayers go out to the victims’ families, their loved ones, and our entire city today. Thank you to our first responders, our public safety officials, and to all the hospital and EMS workers providing care to the victims,” Gainey began, going on to ask the public for help in identifying anyone who might be connected with the shooting.
“At least 10 gunshot victims, two lives lost, and hundreds of lives forever changed, because we have yet to pass meaningful legislation to lessen the amount of guns in our streets or provide the much-needed resources to communities desperately need,” Gainey continued. “The time is now for us to move with a sense of urgency to bring justice to the victims and peace to our city.”
Gainey concluded with a call for action in combatting gun violence in general, saying that he planned to meet with public safety officials and community leaders in an effort to determine the best path forward.
“It is critical that we come together now to help reduce the violence currently happening while we begin to do the long-term work of ending the culture of violence that is enabling the senseless loss of life we are experiencing today,” he said.
Police are reportedly looking for multiple suspects after shell casings from both handguns and rifles were found at the scene and at several areas outside the building that have been marked off as additional crime scenes.
“We’re not going to sleep until we get who did this. This shouldn’t have happened. We’re sick about it. We’re going to do everything we can to get those responsible for it,” Pittsburgh Police Chief Scott Schubert.
AirBNB is reportedly cooperating with authorities in order to get to the bottom of the situation.