East Pittsburgh Residents Worried About Lack Of Local Police

EAST PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A terrifying ordeal for a mother and her three children after a drive-by shooting in East Pittsburgh last night sent bullets flying into the family's home, narrowly missing them.

The mother says without a local police force to call, it took over an hour to get help.

The State Police Barracks In Moon now covers East Pittsburgh Borough, nearly 30 miles away.

East Pittsburgh's police department disbanded months ago due to financial stress and following the shooting of Antwon Rose. Residents feared this would be the result -- more crime and help far away.

The family that lives in this Collins Avenue home in East Pittsburgh say they heard two shots ring out just before 12:30 AM Sunday.

"Just scared to death and I called 9-1-1," said the terrified mom who did not want to be identified.

One bullet came straight through their front living room window, hit the ceiling and lodged in the wall. With East Pittsburgh's Police department disbanding several months ago due to financial stress and following the tragic Antwon Rose shooting, the family was already worried. State Police located in Moon Township on the other side of the county now covers the Borough.

"It's bad here, it's bad in East Pittsburgh," the mother of three said.

"I think I called 9-1-1 maybe five times before they got there," the mother said.

The single mom of three is a nurse and is afraid to go on camera.

"What if someone actually needs somebody right away you know, Braddock, North Braddock, they can't respond because it's not their borough," the landlord and homeowner said.

The family's landlord did respond to the family's late-night terrifying call for help and came right over.

He too is afraid to go on camera but says other families have similar fears and problems too in East Pittsburgh

"Multiple break-ins, going into the house's, ransacking you know doing drugs in the houses, starting multiple fires in the last year," the landlord said.

"A girl down the street was just stabbed and killed, they just found a body down the street from me that was in a house for two weeks, and now I'm getting shot at," the mother of three said.

The family wonders if someone else was the intended target of the drive-by, the mayor of East Pittsburgh Borough lives directly next door.

The entire family is now staying with friends in Westmoreland County, they don't feel safe to go home.

"It's not acceptable that you're hiding with your kids for over an hour and not know if someone is going to come in and start shooting more," the victim said.

State Police in Moon couldn't answer questions about this incident tonight, they do say PA State police are unique, they have statewide jurisdiction, a huge coverage area and it's no secret it may take longer to respond than if a town had their own police department. East Pittsburgh residents are hoping for a change.