Charges Filed Against 2 Suspects In Wilkinsburg Mass Shooting
PITTSBURGH (KDKA/AP) – Police have filed charges against two men previously named as suspects in a Wilkinsburg mass shooting.
Cheron Shelton, 29, and Robert Thomas, 27, were named as suspects in the March 9 shootings that left five adults and unborn baby dead. Today, charges were filed against the two men.
Police used surveillance video, cell phone records and witness accounts to develop their case.
Through their investigation, police uncovered several phone calls and texts were exchanged between Shelton and Thomas before and after the shootings.
According to police, Lamont Powell, who was injured in the shooting, was the intended target.
"Lamont Powell was somebody they had been looking for – these two particular persons had been looking for - more Shelton than Thomas, but they'd been looking for him since 2013. Nobody else was involved in this, these two guys planned this, they carried it out, they had a reason to do it," District Attorney Stephen Zappala said. "We put the weapon...in Shelton's hands."
Timeline Of March 9 Shooting Provided By Police:
6:00 p.m. - Post on social media about party on Franklin Avenue includes Lamont Powell. Shelton and Thomas exchange text messages.
10:28 p.m. - Police say Shelton leaves apartment on Nolan Court and allegedly gets a gun. He drives a white Lincoln Continental ten minutes down the road to Franklin Avenue. Shelton and Thomas speak on the phone for several minutes.
10:53 p.m. - 48 shots are fired. Moments later, calls between the suspects start up once again. The two men are then allegedly spotted jumping a fence back near Nolan Court.
According to the affidavit, the motive was retaliation for a robbery and shooting that happened several years ago.
Police believe Thomas fired a .40-caliber handgun toward about 15 cookout guests. When the guests ran toward the house's back door for cover, Shelton opened fire with an AK-47 from a distance of about 4 to 5 feet.
Chanetta Powell, a 25-year-old who was 8 months pregnant, and four others – Jerry Shelton, 35; Tina Shelton, 37; Brittany Powell, 27; and Shada Mahone, 26 – were killed during the cookout. Powell's unborn child also died. Cheron Shelton is not related to any of the victims.
Two other people were injured in the shooting, including a man who was left paralyzed after suffering multiple gunshot wounds.
Both Shelton and Thomas are being charged with five counts of criminal homicide, six counts of aggravated assault, six counts of recklessly endangering another person, three counts of criminal attempted homicide, criminal homicide of an unborn child and criminal conspiracy.
People in the community said they are relived that someone has been charged.
"I'm happy. I'm very happy, so everyone can feel secure to come back in our neighborhood again. 'Cause everyone was scared," said neighbor June Howard.
Robby Booker had a different outlook.
Booker: I don't feel safe in this area.
Martino: Why not?
Booker: People with AK-47s, that's supposed to be in the Iraq War, not at a cookout.
Earlier this week, their lawyers claimed they were being wrongly jailed in solitary confinement on stale, unrelated charges to squeeze them for information about the shootings.
Three children were also inside the house at the time of the shooting, including one that was asleep on a couch. Two bullets entered the house and one struck the couch. None of the children were injured.
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