A 26-year-old man has been arrested and charged by authorities in the shooting incident that took place late Monday night at a Homewood bar; leaving one security guard dead and another wounded.
According to investigators, in the late hours of Feb. 16, Harvey Scott Jr. entered the Rendezvous Phase III Bar, located at 7232 Hamilton Avenue, where he was then wanded for a weapon and then let in after none was detected. After a few patrons noticed a weapon on Scott’s ankle, they informed security and when security addressed him, a fight broke out, resulting in 24-year-old Deion Nesbitt and a female security guard being shot.
Nesbitt was taken to a local hospital with multiple gunshot wounds, but died on arrival. The other security guard, who has not been identified, was grazed in the arm. She is expected to recover.
Scott allegedly fled the scene, later crashing his car near the corner of Homewood Avenue and Kelly Street. According to a release, Port Authority Police located the accident and Scott was arrested. He is charged with criminal homicide and firearms violation. Scott was well known by Allegheny County and Wilkinsburg police departments.
The community is being praised for their assistance in this case. “We are getting a lot of cooperation, “ said City of Pittsburgh Department of Public Safety Information Officer Sonya Toler. “We received 9-1-1 calls and several people stayed around to talk with police.”
Toler also said the shots were detected by Shot Spotter; it’s believed the door to the establishment were open at the time of the incident.
It is unknown if Scott acted alone; Toler said it is still early in the investigation, but “if someone else is involved, hopefully the investigation will identify that person.” While there was surveillance video taken at the scene, she said there are no plans, as of yet, to release it.
The Rendezvous is no stranger to shootings. Last March four people were injured and 27-year-old Vincent Holt was shot to death when someone opened fire in the crowded establishment. Days later, authorities arrested and charged Corey Clark, of Penn Hills, with criminal homicide and four counts of criminal attempted homicide, among other things, after witnesses identified him. Charges were later dropped after the bar’s surveillance footage showed evidence that Clark was not the shooter.
Being that this is the second incident in less than a year, Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala said, “We are going to ask them (the bar’s owners) to close while we think this through.”
Zappala said he does not think the bar is a “nuisance” because all possible safety measures were taken; it’s just the establishment cannot be controlled.
Calls were made to Pittsburgh City Councilman Rev. Ricky Burgess, whose district includes Homewood, to get his reaction to the incident and what he plans to do, but calls were not returned by this publication’s deadline.
When asked on the New Pittsburgh Courier’s Facebook if the community thought the Rendezvous should be closed, many of those who responded said yes.
“Yes close it down,” responded Margaret Henderson Keener. “How many have to die before something is done (?)”
Arrangements for Nesbitt include a wake to be held Sunday, Feb. 22 from 2-8 p.m. at Gooden & Brown Funeral Home, located at 605 Brushton Ave., in Homewood, and a funeral service to be held Monday, Feb. 23 at 11 a.m. at Sanctuary of Praise on Kelly Street in Homewood.
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