Watch CBS News

Community Standing Against Violence Following Wilkinsburg Shooting

WILKINSBURG (KDKA) -- Dozens of concerned citizens packed into the South Avenue United Methodist Church Saturday. They all came with a common goal: to stop the violence.

"I want us to stand together as a community to make sure this doesn't happen," said Vanessa McCarthy-Johnson, a Wilkinsburg Borough Councilwoman.

This outcry comes following a deadly shooting at a backyard cookout on Franklin Avenue. Six people were shot and killed, three others were wounded.

Police say the victims were ambushed by two men one with a handgun the other with an AK-47 automatic rifle.

Mike Doyle, a U.S. Representative, takes a message away from the tragedy.

Join The Conversation On The KDKA Facebook Page
Stay Up To Date, Follow KDKA On Twitter

"An AK-47 has no use in a civilian society," he said.

State Representative Ed Gainey recently lost a sister to gun violence. He spoke passionately about drugs and weapons coming into the community.

The warmest and loudest welcome was for Michael Walker who lost four family members, including his son Jerry Shelton, the night of the shooting.

"They're all gone taken together so I have to turn my head to God not to ask why but to ask for understanding," he said. "I forgive you, I forgive you, the lord has judgement on those people, the lord will deal with them, I have no hate towards them whatsoever."

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

Ernest Bey with the Mad Dads, a group of concerned fathers, thinks this was such a heinous crime that someone will finally break the so called "no-snitch rule."

"It's not about snitching it's about seeing a community in chaos and we have to stop that chaos we have to stop and support people in our community," Bey said.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.