87 of 107 lives lost were African Americans
by Rob Taylor Jr.
Courier Staff Writer
Was it the stress of the coronavirus pandemic that saw homicides increase in numerous U.S. cities in 2020?
Was it the stress related to the police killings of African Americans Breonna Taylor in Louisville, George Floyd in Minneapolis and Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta?
Was it both? Was it neither?
2020 was a trying year, for sure, and no matter what the reason for the increase in homicides nationally from 2019 to 2020, the Steel City was not spared.
In 2019, Pittsburgh saw 37 homicides, the lowest number in 20 years. But in 2020, the homicide total in the city was 51. In Allegheny County, the 2020 total was 107, an increase of 12 from 2019. The number of African Americans killed in Allegheny County was 87, or 81 percent of the total number in 2020.
Chicago, the Windy City, had a 50 percent jump in homicides, to more than 750 in 2020. Los Angeles had a 30 percent increase with 322 homicides. New York City saw 437 homicides, a more-than 40 percent jump. Pittsburgh’s in-state brethren, Philadelphia, saw almost 500 homicides in 2020, the first time since 1990 that homicides were that high.
“We have good data that the rise in murder was happening in the early stages of the pandemic. We have good data that the rise in murder picked up in the early stages of the summer,” said Jeff Asher, a crime data analyst based in New Orleans, reported by National Public Radio. “And we also have good data that the rise of murder picked up again in September and October as some of the financial assistance started to wear off.”
For almost 15 years, the New Pittsburgh Courier has published the homicide totals in Allegheny County in our newspaper, not shying away from the fact that Black-on-Black crime is literally killing our community. Our kids are dying. Our women are dying. Our men are dying. Families are forever being altered. Our communities get tarnished in the media, a stain that takes decades to rid.
We applaud all of the people, all of the local organizations that feverishly fight against this gun violence. We know that change doesn’t happen overnight. Change takes time. But Black-on-Black gun violence needs to be put on the forefront in addressing now. We don’t have time for this violence to lessen over the course of decades. It’s time to put the guns down now, replace the beefs with cooler heads, and let’s get back to being a true “community.”
DEC. 5—MADISON PAIGE GILROY, a 22-year-old Black female, was shot and killed while leaving the True Diamonds Gentlemen’s Club in McKees Rocks. The shooting occurred around 4:30 a.m. A suspect has been arrested.
DEC. 15—JAFAR BROOKS, a 15-year-old Black male, was shot and killed on Garden Drive in Penn Hills. The shooting occurred around 12:40 a.m. Brooks had attended Central Catholic High School and was the grandson of Rashad Byrdsong, a community leader who is the CEO of the Community Empowerment Association in Homewood.
DEC. 22—DERIC DAVIS, a 53-year-old Black male, died as a result of a stab wound, according to medical examiners’ first reports. Davis, who had been missing for more than a week, was found in Brighton Heights, his body wrapped in plastic.
DEC. 29—DAMON LINCOLN, a 24-year-old Black male, was shot during a home invasion in the 200 block of Anthony Street in Mt. Oliver around 11:40 p.m. on Dec. 28. He died a short time later at UPMC Mercy.
NOV. 1—MALIK ALLEN, a 24-year-old Black male, was shot and killed during an incident on Beltzhoover Avenue near Edgemont Street in Allentown. Two other people died the day before as a result of the shooting incident.
NOV. 1—Derrick M. Stanford, a 31-year-old Black male, died during an incident in Pittsburgh.
NOV. 4—LAVONTE MARTEL HOWARD, a 28-year-old Black male, was shot and killed while inside a vehicle in the 5700 block of Jackson Street in Highland Park. The shooting occurred around 8 p.m.
NOV. 5—MICAH GRAHAM, a 16-year-old Black male, was shot and killed at a park in Swissvale. He was a member of the Woodland Hills High School basketball team. Rena Halsel, Graham’s grandmother, told the Tribune-Review in Nov. 2020 that Graham was “full of life all the time. He was a beautiful person. All he wanted to do was play basketball and live his life.” There are no suspects in the shooting death as of yet.
NOV. 7—THEODORE B. JONES, a 52-year-old Black male, was shot and killed at his home in the 1500 block of Beech Street in North Braddock. An 18-year-old has been arrested in connection with the shooting death.
NOV. 9—ERNEST NEVIN MILLS JR., a 28-year-old Black male, was shot and killed while walking with his significant other on Brighton Road and Davis Avenue on the North Side. Police said a 24-year-old man who lived in the same multi-family home as Mills was responsible for the shooting.
NOV. 10—MAKEIDA THOMPSON, a 32-year-old Black female, was shot and killed, police said, by the father of her youngest child, as she sat in her East Liberty home. Thompson was a juvenile probation officer for Allegheny County. The man who police say was responsible for Thompson’s death was arrested in Seattle.
NOV. 10—WILLIAM LEE JR., a 33-year-old Black male, was shot and killed at the Bedford Dwellings apartment complex in the Hill District. The shooting occurred around 8 p.m. in the 2400 block of Chauncey Drive.
NOV. 16—MYQUANDRE STEVENSON, a 23-year-old Black male, died after a shooting occurred around 10:30 p.m. along Brownsville Road in Carrick. Stevenson was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
NOV. 17—RANDY EDWARDS, a 33-year-old Black male, was shot and killed in the 2500 block of Bedford Avenue around 11 a.m. A second person was also shot, but survived.
NOV. 22—EMANUEL DESHAWN JOHNSON, a 35-year-old Black male, was found shot and dead inside a vehicle on Rebecca Avenue. The shooting occurred around 7:50 p.m. Another person was also shot in the incident.
NOV. 23—SYNCERE SPRUILL, an a18-year-old Black male, was shot just before midnight in the 200 block of Conroy Way in Tarentum. He was taken to Allegheny Valley Hospital where he died the following day.
NOV. 25—GEORGE BUCHANAN, a 27-year-old Black male, was shot in the hip in the 900 block of Third Street in McKees Rocks. He died at the hospital a short time later.
OCT. 6—FRANCISCO J. SANCHEZ, a 31-year-old Hispanic male, was shot and killed after a disagreement in Troy Hill. Police say a 65-year-old man was responsible for the shooting death, though police say the man said he was acting in self-defense.
OCT. 7—NAEKWON NIEEM WRIGHT, a 24-year-old Black male, was shot and killed on Clifford Street in Lincoln-Lemington. The shooting occurred around 11:40 p.m.
OCT. 7—SAHEED GAYLE, a 20-year-old Black male, was shot and killed while working at Monroeville Mall. A man turned himself in and faces homicide charges.
OCT. 15—DEMARCO MAHONE, a 26-year-old Black male, was shot on North Franklin Street in Manchester around 7:45 p.m., Oct. 14. He was taken to the hospital, where he died the next day. A man has been arrested in the shooting death.
OCT. 23—DEONDRE STEWART, a 20-year-old Black male, was shot while leaving a Halloween party in Penn Hills. He died after being taken to UPMC Presbyterian.
OCT. 24—NELSON LINCOLN, a 30-year-old Black male, was shot and killed on Midway Drive in West Mifflin. The shooting occurred around 2:20 a.m. Lincoln was a resident of West Mifflin.
OCT. 31—LAFFAYETTE ANTHONIE GORDON, a 21-year-old Black male, and JOSEPH HENDRICKS, a 17-year-old Black male, were shot and killed during an incident on Beltzhoover Avenue near Edgemont Street in Allentown.
SEPT. 1—MARQUE YELLETS, a 29-year-old Black male, was shot and killed after a home invasion in Wilkinsburg. A man who police say was the shooter was arrested in October 2020.
SEPT. 5—JONATHAN ROBERTS, a 53-year-old Black male, was killed during an incident in Fineview. Roberts was a Central Catholic High School graduate and had attended Conley Trade School and became a carpenter.
SEPT. 15—JOHN ELLIS, a 51-year-old Black male, died after being shot in Wilkinsburg more than four years prior. The shooting that occurred at 1304 Franklin Avenue that left five adults and an unborn child dead. The shooting left Ellis paralyzed from the waist down.
SEPT. 22—CHRISTOPHER BRANT WALLACE, a 34-year-old Black male, died in Pittsburgh. The New Pittsburgh Courier could not confirm at press time the circumstances in which Wallace died.
SEPT. 23—ANTHONY E. WILLIAMS, a 44-year-old Black male from Swissvale, was shot and killed around the 7100 block of Frankstown Ave. in Homewood around 9:20 p.m. Two others were injured in the shooting.
SEPT. 25—TYSERE MICHAEL IGLES, a 19-year-old Black male, was shot and killed inside an apartment on Arlington Avenue in Mt. Oliver. The shooting happened around 3:10 a.m.
SEPT. 26—NIGEL BROADUS, a 24-year-old Black male, was shot and killed, police say, by his girlfriend, after police say Broadus continuously assaulted her in a Turtle Creek residence. Broadus was shot multiple times.
AUG. 6—DEANDRE M. OLDAY-BRYANT, a 26-year-old Black male from Homewood, was shot near Kelly Elementary School in Homewood on Aug. 4 around 12:15 p.m. He died two days later. An obituary for Olday-Bryant read that he had worked as a security guard for several companies in Pittsburgh.
AUG. 19—TANNER J. MORTON, a 16-year-old White male, was shot around 7 p.m. near Mount Washington Park. He walked into UPMC Mercy with a gunshot wound, and died a few hours later.
AUG. 23—JAMES W. GOODWINE, a 21-year-old Black male, was shot in the 600 block of Elmore Street in the Hill District around 3:30 a.m. He was transported to UPMC Mercy. Goodwine later died.
AUG. 23—KENNETH A. WILSON, a 56-year-old Black male, was shot and killed while in Northview Heights around 9:45 p.m. An 18-year-old was charged with Wilson’s death.
AUG. 24—MICHAEL WILLIAM ARNOLD, a 19-year-od Black male, was shot and killed on Kent Way in Upper Lawrenceville around 1 a.m. No arrests have been announced.
AUG. 24—NIKI HAPPEL, a 54-year-old White female, was shot and killed by her estranged husband in Upper St. Clair, who then took his own life moments later. Happel had returned to the home on Thousands Oaks Drive to retrieve personal belongings before she was shot.
AUG. 24—ZYKIER YOUNG, a 1-year-old Black male, was shot and killed during a shootout in Spring Hill on the North Side. The death of Young caused a city-wide outcry to denounce gun violence. Three men were arrested in connection to the shooting, in which Young was not the intended target.
AUG. 27—JANYEL CRAWFORD, a 31-year-old Black female from North Versailles, was shot at the intersection of Frankstown Avenue and Collier Street in Homewood around 11:30 p.m. the previous evening. She died at UPMC Presbyterian at around 12:45 a.m.
JULY 5—Justin Gomez, a 32-year-old Black male, was shot in the area of Mohler Street and Ferris Court in Homewood around 9:45 p.m. on July 4. Gomez, of Turtle Creek, died at the hospital the next morning. Authorities have not identified any suspects.
JULY 5—Keith D. Byrd, a 34-year-old Black male, died the morning after the Fourth of July in a shooting in the 100 block of Shetland Street in Larimer. No arrests have been made in the case.
JULY 8—Jamey Green, a 29-year-old Black male, was shot in an apartment in the Green Valley Flats apartment complex in North Versailles. Police say he was shot by a 20-year-old man from Duquesne.
JULY 11—Kevin Swinton, an 18-year-old Black male, was killed on July 11. There is no more information available at this time. Police ask that you call 1-833-255-8477 with any information.
JULY 17—Keith Jones Jr., a 20-year-old Black male, was shot near Spear Alley, near Dinsmore Street, in McKeesport. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Allegheny County Police tip line at 1-833-255-8477.
JULY 18—Clarence Thomas IV, an 18-year-old Black male, died during an incident in Sheraden.
JULY 22—Clinton Jamar Miller, a 40-year-old Black male, was shot on Knox Avenue in Knoxville. He died at UPMC Mercy Hospital around 3 a.m. No arrests have been made.
JULY 23—Niko Dawson, a 31-year-old Black male, of McKeesport, was shot in the 1200 block of Soles Street around 11:20 p.m. A woman was also shot, but survived.
JULY 26—Cortez Rai Lucas, a 27-year-old Black male, died on July 26. No other information is available at this time. Police ask that you call 1-833-255-8477 with any information.
JULY 29—Ricshawn Robinson, a 49-year-old Black female, was found shot to death in Hazelwood, in the 300 block of Flowers Avenue. Another man was also found deceased, though that hasn’t been ruled a homicide as of yet.
JULY 29—Michael C. Tomson, a 53-year-old White male, was assaulted, police say, by a 29-year-old Kennedy Township man, at the Hilltop Inn on Kisow Drive, also in Kennedy. The 29-year-old allegedly punched Tomson in the face and head. Tomson died from his injuries. The 29-year-old is in custody.
JUNE 3—Demond Terrell Scott, a 19-year-old Black male, of Duquesne, was shot in North Braddock around 3:45 p.m. Another man was also shot during the encounter. Anyone with information on possible suspects can contact the Allegheny County Police Tip Line at 1-833-ALL-TIPS. Callers can remain anonymous.
JUNE 4—Mitch William Verheyen, a 38-year-old White male, was shot during a home invasion, police say, by the homeowner, in Brentwood. Police say the homeowner shot Verheyen three times.
JUNE 5—Terrance Lamar Carter, a 49-year-old Black male, and Elisha Marie Moses, a 34-year-old Black female, were found shot to death on Princeton Boulevard in Wilkinsburg around 9:50 p.m. No arrests have been made in the case. Police ask that anyone with information call the county police tip line at 1-833-ALL-TIPS (1-833-255-8477).
JUNE 5—Elisha Marie Moses, a 34-year-old Black female, died during an incident in Wilkinsburg.
JUNE 7—Deshere Davenport, a 19-year-old Black male, was shot and killed in Wilkinsburg. Police ask that anyone with information call the county police tip line at 1-833-ALL-TIPS (8477).
JUNE 9—Trai Wilson, a 36-year-old Black male, was shot multiple times while on Dearborn Street in Garfield, on June 8. He died the following afternoon.
JUNE 9—Bella Seachrist, a 3-year-old Hispanic female, died during an incident in Oakmont.
JUNE 11—Edgard Fumbula, a 22-year-old Black male, was shot along Bailey Street in Mt. Washington. Police say a 24-year-old man was responsible for shooting Fumbula and another man.
JUNE 14—Demetrius Herring, a 28-year-old Black male, was killed on June 14. There is no other information available at this time. Police ask that anyone with information call the county police tip line at 1-833-ALL-TIPS (1-833-255-8477).
JUNE 16—George Brosey, a 54-year-old White male, was shot while at the Crawford Village housing complex in McKeesport. It’s unclear if any suspects have been apprehended.
JUNE 18—Ericka J. Stevens, a 29-year-old Black female, was shot following an argument outside a bar in McKeesport. Police arrested a 33-year-old female who they believe is responsible for the shooting. Stevens was a mother of three.
JUNE 19—Tara Alice Joseph, a 43-year-old Black female, Oliver Andrew Finley, a 43-year-old Black male, and Harold E. Hicks, a 51-year-old Black male, were shot near Coal Street in Wilkinsburg. Investigators are still looking for the shooter or shooters.
JUNE 21—Roger Brown, a 63-year-old Black male, died after being assaulted, police say, by a 31-year-old man and 47-year-old woman, who were cousins, in Homewood. The assault happened in the 7200 block of Frankstown Avenue. Both suspects were arrested.
JUNE 25—Kellyn Toliver, a 31-year-old Black male, was shot in Swissvale around the areas of Noble Street and Center Street. He died from his injuries at UPMC Presbyterian. Known as Tolly Bandz, Toliver was a friend of late Pittsburgh rapper Mac Miller.
JUNE 26—Christopher Langham, a 48-year-old White male, was shot, police say, by a 26-year-old male, at the Pittsburgh Motel in Robinson Township. The 26-year-old was arrested near the scene.
JUNE 28—Gregory Michael Walker, a 37-year-old White male, was fatally stabbed by a 35-year-old man, police say, as the man encountered Walker as he was walking along Lincoln Avenue in Lincoln-Lemington. The suspect was arrested.
MAY 2—Bing Liu, a 37-year-old Asian male, was shot in his Ross Township townhouse, as part of a murder-suicide, police say. It happened in the 200 block of Elm Court. Liu was a Pitt researcher. Police believe he was shot by a 46-year-old man, who then got into his car and killed himself.
MAY 4—Kristy Jefferson, a 38-year-old Black female, was found dead in a McKees Rocks apartment on Helen Street, in an abandoned refrigerator. Police have arrested a 40-year-old man in connection with the case, but yet to have charged him with homicide.
MAY 4—Tiawaun S. Henley, a 26-year-old Black male, was shot while in Stowe Township, around 3:30 p.m. Police say he was with a 16-year-old male, of whom fired the shot that killed Henley. Police charged the Sto-Rox High School student with aggravated assault and possession of a firearm by a minor.
MAY 7—Zion Thomas, a 19-year-old Black male, of Homestead, was shot in East Liberty near Larimer Avenue and Broad Street around 10:30 a.m. Thomas was a 2019 graduate of Steel Valley High School.
MAY 12—Garrett King, a 28-year-old Black male, was shot in a parking lot in Knoxville, near Mt. Oliver, around 6:30 p.m. on May 11. He died early May 12 at the hospital from his injuries. It’s unclear if any suspects have been apprehended by police.
MAY 13—Marcus Wells Jr., a 16-year-old Black male, was shot around 9 p.m. near Laketon Road and Robinson Boulevard in Wilkinsburg. Cynthia Barnhart told WTAE-TV that Marcus was a very kind-hearted young man, whose death “has completely shattered the family foundation.”
MAY 17—Gordon Danielson Jr., a 57-year-old White male, was killed, police say, by his downstairs neighbor, in a McKeesport apartment building. The manner of death was a stabbing. A 52-year-old man has been charged with homicide, burglary and robbery.
MAY 19—Thomas Johnson, a 45-year-old Black male, was shot outside the Mon View Heights apartment complex in West Mifflin. A 37-year-old man has been charged with homicide.
MAY 29—Mark McCaa, a 45-year-old Black male, died of pneumonia due to quadriplegia at Manor Care nursing home in Shadyside. However, he was permanently disabled after being shot in Penn Hills in 2006, thus ruling McCaa’s death a homicide. No charges have been filed in the case.
MAY 31—Sean A. Reese, a 34-year-old Black male, was shot during a block party in Homewood. He was the owner of Secrets Night Club, also in Homewood. Reese was a member of Perry Traditional Academy’s football team which won City League titles. He graduated from Perry in 2003.
APRIL 1—Esam Tanzim Hossain, a 23-year-old Black male, was shot and killed in Oakland, on Meyran Avenue. Hossain was a former Pitt student, originally from San Jose, Calif.
APRIL 2—Kyrah Andrews, a 1-month-old White female, died during an incident in Stowe Township.
APRIL 9—David Craig Smith, a 38-year-old White male, was shot and killed in the 2600 block of Stayton Street in Marshall-Shadeland, It’s unclear if Pittsburgh Police have apprehended any suspects in this case.
APRIL 11—Tayshawn Robinson, a 19-year-old Black male, was found near McCoy Road in Stowe Township by two teenagers. Investigators determined that Robinson was killed around 3 a.m. Anyone with information should call the police tip line, 833-ALL-TIPS (833-255-8477).
APRIL 19—Elizabeth Wiesenfeld, a 68-year-old White female, of Whitehall, had been missing since April 2019. Her remains were found inside a garbage bag in Plum Borough on April 19. Investigators believe her 47-year-old handyman is responsible for Wiesenfeld’s death.
APRIL 26—Antwon Rice, a 31-year-old Black male, of Homewood, was shot while sitting in an SUV on Bennett Street in Homewood on April 22. Rice died from his injuries on April 26. An obituary for Rice said his dream was to have his own cleaning business and leave a legacy behind for his children.
APRIL 26—Kwame Washington, a 24-year-old Black male, was shot and killed while sitting in the passenger seat of a vehicle on Shingiss Street in McKees Rocks. Anyone with information should call the police tip line, 833-ALL-TIPS (833-255-8477).
APRIL 26—Amber Dolby, a 38-year-old White female, was shot around 5:30 a.m. while in McKeesport near Rogena Street and Riverview Avenue. Dolby was a mother of three.
APRIL 27—Damian L. Sowell, a 42-year-old Black male, died during an incident in Pittsburgh.
MARCH 3—Christian Moore-Rouse, a 22-year-old Black male from Verona, was found in Fox Chapel after he was reported missing in December 2019. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner ruled Moore-Rouse’s death a homicide. Moore-Rouse was a 2016 Allderdice High School graduate. A 21-year-old Fox Chapel man has been charged in connection with Moore-Rouse’s death.
MARCH 5—Elijah Jamaal Brewer, a 25-year-old Black male, died in a Pittsburgh Police officer-involved shooting around 7 p.m. near East Ohio Street, North Side. Brewer, of Mt. Oliver, was a well-known rap artist and certified fitness trainer. He was affectionately known as “EZ” by friends and family.
MARCH 12—Brittany Alker, a 30-year-old White female, was killed, police say, by a 34-year-old homeless man in Homewood after a domestic dispute. Police identified the man as Alker’s boyfriend.
MARCH 28—Chasae Swindle, a 42-year-old Black male, of McKeesport, was shot while in his vehicle on Evaline Street in Penn Hills. Swindle was a graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School and was part of the janitorial staff at the Pittsburgh International Airport.
MARCH 30—Shadea Johnson, a 32-year-old Black female, of Homewood, was shot, police say, by a 44-year-old man, on Monticello Street around 2:30 a.m. The 44-year-old was captured by U.S. marshals.
FEB. 3—Cindy Woods, a 58-year-old White female, died during an incident in Hays.
FEB. 3—Kevin Hall, a 23-year-old Black male, died in a shooting on Winston Street in Wilkinsburg.
Feb. 4—Joseph Perlick-Spernak, a 25-year-old White male, was shot and killed after a physical alteration that began inside a home in Clairton. Police believe 28-year-old Gerald Johnson was responsible for the shooting. Johnson remained at the scene as police arrived.
Feb. 9—Anthony Lamarr Orosco, a 20-year-old Black male, was shot and killed while trying to break up a fight between a mother and her son, both of whom were armed with a gun. The incident happened in West Mifflin, as 21-year-old Dante King told police that he shot Orosco, of Pine Knot, Ky.
Feb. 9—Chassity Clancy, a 3-year-old Black female, was shot and killed while sleeping in a home in Beltzhoover. While the shooting death is widely believed to be accidental, 51-year-old Marlin Pritchard, of Beltzhoover, faces homicide, child endangerment and gun charges in connection with the shooting. Pritchard told police he was sleeping with a shotgun under his pillow.
Feb. 16—Jason Lewis, a 39-year-old Black male, was shot and killed while leaving the Sahara Temple after-hours club in Braddock. Lewis died around 12:15 p.m. at UPMC Presbyterian hospital, about nine hours after he was wounded.
Feb. 17—Jeremy Dentel, a 28-year-old White male, was shot and killed, police say by 21-year-old Adam Rosenberg, after the two met in person from a dating app. Dentel was killed with a gunshot to the head in Baldwin Borough. Rosenberg will stand trial on homicide charges.
FEB. 19—Dominique M. Fuller, a 25-year-old Black male, died during an incident in Homewood.
Feb. 26—David Howard, a 47-year-old White male, was shot and killed, police say by his own son, in Harmar Township. Shane Howard, the 23-year-old son, told police he shot his father after his father badmouthed his girlfriend and their baby.
Feb. 26—Robert Fulton, a 33-year-old Black male, was shot and killed on Taft Avenue in Beltzhoover around 11:30 a.m. No additional information has been made available about this case.
JAN. 1—Ladea Terrell, a 33-year-old Black female, was shot multiple times in Wilkinsburg on Dec. 17, 2019. She died of her injuries on Jan. 1. Terrell was shot around 9 p.m. in the 200 block of Eastgate Drive, which closely borders East Hills. There have been no arrests in the shooting death.
JAN. 10—Issa Noor, an 18-year-old Black male from Grove City, was shot multiple times near Roberts Street and Bedford Avenue in the Hill District around 6:45 p.m. There have been no arrests in the shooting death.
JAN. 12—Joshua Brandon Long, a 22-year-old Black male from West Mifflin, was shot by a homeowner inside a home in Baldwin Borough. The incident occurred shortly after 7 p.m. Anyone with information on the incident can call the Allegheny County police tip line at 1-833-255-8477.
JAN. 27—Tionna Highsmith, a 29-year-old Black female, died after being shot 15 years prior.
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