Funeral Held For Wilkinsburg Shooting Victim
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The first of the funerals from the Wilkinsburg shooting was held at Unity Baptist Church in Braddock on Monday.
It's where Shada Mahone grew up and the pastor here remembers one thing about her in particular.
"My memories of her was a smile," said pastor Richard Wingfield. "She had a very very beautiful smile. I watched her grow up. She was always happy. I've never seen her down and so that's one of the very very vivid memories I have of her...She was baptized here. Her grandparents are an integral part of this family. And we're trying to give messages of hope and encouragement to the family."
Mahone leaves behind a five-year-old girl and her pastor says her family and extended family will rally around the child.
Among the mourners: Jessica Shelton who lost three children of her own. This victim was her neice.
Her pastor, who consoled her last week, came as well.
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"They're holding in," said Rev. Maurice Trent of Lighthouse of Pittsbrgh. "They're showing incredible strength and we just keep praying for them."
Meantime, the pastor of Unity Baptist says he encourages anyone with information about the case to come forward. And he had a message for this family and the broader community.
"It's not a message of vengeance, not a message of retaliation, but a message that says 'yes you're going to grieve'," said Rev. Wingfield. "Seek justice not retaliation and by all means the family coming together as a means of love to support one another....It is disturbing. It's bothering me that such a heinous crime could be committed. It's heart-wrenching that we would have two cowards out there who choose to just shoot on an area and just take off and not really want to accept responsibility for it," he said.
Meantime Allegheny Police released this update on the investigation: "The conditions of the surviving victims remain the same."
The Allegheny County Police have received numerous tips and information from the public and are following up on each and every one. In doing so, tye have received some contain duplicative information, or may be some detail that does not require a sit-down interview. That being said, the department is moving methodically through all of the information being provided.
Anyone who has information relative to the shooting is asked to contact the Allegheny County Police Department's Homicide Unit at 412-473-1300 or to call the ATF Hotline at 1-800-ATF-GUNS (1-800-283-4867). A reward of up to $20,000 has been offered for information leading to the arrest and convictions of the persons responsible for the shooting incident that took place on March 9th on Franklin Avenue in Wilkinsburg."
