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Swissvale Shooting Leaves Teen Injured

SWISSVALE (KDKA) – Police are investigating after a teenager was injured in a shooting Monday morning.

According to police, the shooting happened near the intersection of Melrose Street and South Braddock Avenue around 7 a.m.

The victim, 17-year-old Michael Copeland, was rushed to a local hospital. He underwent surgery and is expected to survive.

The grandmother of the 17-year-old victim believes her grandson was targeted. He was shot less than a block away from his home, as he was heading to the bus stop.

"I think he was targeted. They were waiting for him to come out and go to school. They were waiting," said Donna Lawrence.

Lawrence said the 17-year-old was shot five times in his lower body.

"This is ridiculous. These kids need to stop this. They are taking lives. They are too young to be dying this young. They have so much life ahead of them. I don't know what's wrong with the kids. They need Jesus," Lawrence said.

She said Copeland is expected to survive the shooting. Although she's upset about what happened, she knows it could have been a lot worse.

"It was just him and the shooter. And just like they shot him in his lower body. They could have shot him anywhere else and he could be dead. So, I thank God for that," she said.

"I was getting dressed and he was getting dressed. We didn't even have time to talk this morning," said Copeland's sister, Rian Lawrence-Smith.

Lawrence said the shooter ran away from the scene. She has a message for the person who shot her grandson.

"Let it go. Whatever it is, whatever it is, it is not worth his life, your life, no kid's life. You didn't give life, you have no right to take nobody's life," she said.

Allegheny County Police don't have any suspects. They're asking anyone who has any information to give them a call.

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