A 15-year-old Clairton boy was arrested Friday in connection with a South Side Shooting that injured three people.
He is expected to be charged as an adult with one count of Criminal Attempt Homicide, two counts of Aggravated Assault, three gun offenses and two counts of Criminal Mischief.
Police say one victim was taken to the hospital in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the chest. Two other victims were taken to the hospital in serious condition. All are expected to survive.
Many details about the shooting are still unavailable as the investigation continues.
A police officer was also assaulted in a separate incident happening at the same time as the shooting.
Pittsburgh Public Safety Director Wednell Hissrich said the assault happened as police confronted a suspect punching another person. The suspect allegedly lost his weapon and reached for the officer's. As the suspect tried to get the officer's gun, a female starting punching the officer.
The officer was taken to the hospital with a wrist injury. He is expected to be okay.
Pittsburgh Public Safety said four people were detained at the scene, including the 15-year-old boy.
"This is becoming a regular event where officers are trying to deescalate the situation to no avail," Hissrich said.
The violent night in the South Side comes amid a recent crackdown in the neighborhood along with an increase in violence citywide and across the country.
At a press conference Friday, Hissrich called the South Side a "critical priority" and said they will continue to increase security.
"We will be moving more cameras into the South Side area to cover more area of where we believe there were problems last night and could be problems in the future," he said. "We are putting some additional light tires as early as tonight."
With overcrowded sidewalks and pedestrian incidents an increasing problem, Hissrich also said the City is working with PennDOT to decrease thru traffic in the area.
"If it's traffic just passing through South Side, maybe there's a way around it," he said. "Maybe cross either the Hot Metal Bridge, the Birmingham St., Bridge, then across the Tenth St. Bridge. That's what we've been working on this week."
City officials also expressed concern over the timing of the issues in the South Side.
The neighborhood is a popular party spot for the city's college students, many of whom will return to Pittsburgh next month.
Hissrich said officials plan to meet within the next few weeks to prepare for what could be an extra thousand people in the South Side on weekends beginning in August.
"I don't know how [police] do it week in and week out to work the South Side detail and have to put up with individuals that don't listen to you," Hissrich said. "Then the potential shooting situation. It's very chaotic."
City officials say the businesses along East Carson St. have been cooperative.
An investigation is ongoing.
