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Police: 5 Dead, 3 Wounded In Wilkinsburg Shooting Spree

WILKINSBURG (KDKA) -- Allegheny County Police say five people are dead, three others were wounded and police are looking for two gunmen after a shooting spree at a party late Wednesday night in Wilkinsburg.

The incident happened around 10:55 p.m. in the 1300 block of Franklin Avenue during some sort of party or cookout in the backyard. Police were called to the scene for a report of shots fired.

According to Allegheny County Police Lt. Andrew Schurman, four people were found dead at the scene, four other victims were rushed to local hospitals where one of them was pronounced dead.

Police say of the victims who were killed at the scene, three were women and the other was a man. All four were found dead on the back porch. The victim who died at the hospital was a woman.

The fatal victims have been identified as:

  • Jerry Shelton, 35
  • Tina Shelton, 37
  • Brittany Powell, 27
  • Chanetta Powell, 25
  • Shada Mahone, 26

According to the Medical Examiner, Jerry Shelton, Brittany Powell and Chanetta Powell are siblings. Jerry Shelton and Tina Shelton are cousins.

Also, of the victims who were wounded, two men are in critical condition and a woman is in stable condition.

According to police, ballistic evidence at the scene indicates that possibly, "two different weapons were discharged from two different people."

Authorities are looking for two gunmen.

"There is ballistic evidence that would lead us to believe there is at least two people that discharged weapons into a backyard party or a cookout of some sort at the residence," said Lt. Schurman. "We do not believe, at this point, anybody that was in that backyard or an attendee of the party fired weapons in return."

Police say once the initial shots rang out, the party-goers tried to run into the home, but the second gunman then opened fire from the side or backyard adjacent to the residence.

Neighbors reported hearing 30 to 40 shots ring out.

The investigation continues into the incident.

County Executive Rich Fitzgerald released a statement Thursday morning expressing his deepest sympathies to the victims' families.

"We know that these families' lives have been changed forever. Over the next few days, I'm certain we will learn more about each of the victims who died and their futures, now cut short. Wilkinsburg is a community filled with grief, shock and anger this morning. We share their grief and offer them our support in the days and weeks to come," he said.

Fitzgerald also urged anyone with information to come forward.

"As the Allegheny County Police Department's Homicide Unit continues its investigation, we hope that someone will come forward and provide information on this shooting. As a community, we must say enough is enough and providing information on this senseless shooting can be our first step to stopping the violence in our communities," he said.

Anyone with information on the incident is being asked to call Allegheny County Police at (412)-473-1300.

Stay with KDKA for the latest on this developing story.

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