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Motive Unclear For Pregnant Woman's Shooting Death In Brighton Heights

BRIGHTON HEIGHTS (KDKA) - Detectives were back out canvassing the neighborhood Wednesday morning where a pregnant woman was gunned down.

Deona Barnett, 27, was a mother of five children and newly pregnant, expecting another.

"She loved her kids, loved her kids very much," said James Powell, Barnett's stepfather. "She had a beautiful voice; she loved singing."

Barnett was shot multiple times Tuesday night around 9 p.m. as she walked by herself just down the street from her home in Brighton Heights.

"She said she was pregnant before the paramedics took her away," Pittsburgh Police Spokeswoman Sonya Toler said. "Right now, we do know that our victim was walking when the shooting occurred. Our witnesses can only say, because it was dark, that they saw a shadowy figure at this point in time."

Tammy Cinkan lived just a few doors down from Barnett. Cinkan said she was getting ready for bed Tuesday night, when she heard gunshots outside her window.

"I heard like eight or nine," Cinkan said. "It was like boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. Steady, constant boom."

Cinkan said she ran outside to find Barnett lying on the sidewalk.

"I heard Deona crying and saying, 'Help me, help me.'" she added. "I come running down and she was laying here in a pool of blood."

Through her tears, Cinkan demonstrated what she did.

"I bent down and I tried to help her. I put my hands down and I talked to her and I just told her to stay conscious and talk to me," Cinkan said.

Barnett died at UPMC Mercy Hospital less than an hour after the shooting. On Wednesday, detectives were back at the victim's home on Richardson Street, where neighbors say she lived with her boyfriend.

At this point, it is unclear if she was targeted in the shooting or if it was a random act.

"She was by herself and walking. Right now, we can only assume, and you know I don't like to make assumptions," Toler said.

As detectives worked the neighborhood where the shooting happened, two homicide detectives and a forensics investigator were down the hill at Young Bro's Bar. Toler was aware of the activity there, but could not comment further.

Cinkan says she saw several men running away from the scene.

"I couldn't see what they looked like, but they ran down this back street," she said as she pointed down Antrim Street.

Police either do not have or are not releasing a description of the suspect.

"We do not believe this was a drive-by. We believe the shooter was on foot at the time of the shooting at least," Toler said.

A motive is unclear, but neighbors say that Barnett kept to herself.

Powell said the family didn't know Barnett was expecting, until they heard news reports last night. He said now they'll mourn the loss of their daughter and an unborn grandchild.

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