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Friends Mourn Loss Of Innocent Man Killed In McKeesport Shooting

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Allegheny County Police are looking for the people involved in the shooting that left an innocent man, 73-year-old James Ponzo, dead Wednesday.

A friend of Ponzo says he was devastated when he learned what happened.

"Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful person, top-notch guy. Just a good kind-hearted type guy,"  said Larry Lattanzi, who's known Ponzo for about three years.

The two met when Lattanzi moved to Glassport. They often went to concerts together, and had plans to hear an oldies group later this month.

"We were going to go down to American Legion in White Oak on the 17th, to see Pure Gold," said Lattanzi.

He remembered seeing Ponzo Wednesday morning.

"We talked for about seven minutes or so," he said.

Wednesday afternoon Ponzo was killed. Police believe he was an innocent victim, caught in a shooting crossfire. It happened in McKeesport, near the Crawford Village Housing Complex.

Ponzo was driving in the area. After he was shot in the head, police believe Ponzo crashed into an SUV. The two people in the SUV weren't seriously injured.

Ponzo died in the emergency room at UPMC McKeesport Hospital.

"At this point, we do believe he was an innocent victim, and he may have just been driving by the area when the shooting occurred," said Lt. Andrew Schurman with the Allegheny County Police Department. "We cannot link the two directly at this point, we can only assume two incidents, because of the timing and proximity, that they are linked."

"I mean, it's unreal," said Howard Patterson, who lives in McKeesport. "Actually, McKeesport is a very nice place to live."

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call McKeesport Police or the Allegheny County Police Homicide Unit.

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