Three Dead, One Injured in Pittsburgh Restaurant Shooting; Three Masked Men Flee on Foot

The Associated Press ^ | Published: Jan 26, 2002 | The Associated Press

[BigBlueJon]

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Three masked men walked into a sandwich shop and opened fire on a group of people inside, killing two men and a young girl, police said.

Witnesses said the gunmen appeared to be targeting a man in a wheelchair, Thomas Mitchell, 31, who died in the attack. Also killed were Parrish Freeman, 35, and Taylor Coles, 8. A woman wounded in the attack was hospitalized in serious condition Saturday.

Police and officials with the medical examiner's office said Saturday they hadn't determined if the victims were related.

Witnesses said Mitchell had been paralyzed in another shooting in the mid-1990s.

The shooting occurred shortly after 7 p.m. in a Pittsburgh neighborhood known for crime. Restaurant owner Tommy Washington said the shooting lasted about one minute.

Police said they were looking for three black males in their late teens or early 20s.

"There were three people involved, but there are a lot of conflicting stories right now," said police Cmdr. Maurita Bryant. "I hope the community will not let this go and will help us."

[BigBlueJon]

How different would this have been if there were gun-wielding, law-abiding citizens in this restaurant.

[Bahbah]

Very different. However, it doesn't sound like a place where there would be alot of law abiding citizens hanging around.

[gitmogrunt]

"Police said they were looking for three black males in their late teens or early 20's."

gee,and I was about to pin it on Al Qaeda.

[goodnesswins]

Hmmmmm....what religion does Farakkan practice and promote? Just a question folks, just a question.

[FITZ]

Maybe no law-abiding citizens were even in the restaurant.

[BrooklynGOP]

"Police said they were looking for three black males in their late teens or early 20's."

I bet they are going to stop and frisk elderly white ladies in their pursuit for the suspects. Gotta be PC.

[Teacher317]

Why would they be targeting a man in a wheelchair?
Why would they have to murder an 8 year old little girl while assassinating him?

Why can't we put soulless scum like them in stockades in the public square? I occasionally have some frustrations to vent, and I need a really worthy target.

[OldFriend]

And make the elderly white women take off their shoes too.....perhaps the weapon used in the crime has been hidden in the left shoe!

[Drew68]

What kind of subhuman animals shoot an eight year old girl? This crap makes me sick. I don't know why I even read the story.

[Rain-maker]

How different would this have been if there were gun-wielding, law-abiding citizens in this restaurant.

Yeah, the restaurant owner should of been packing a .50 cal Thompson for scum like these.

[mountaineer]

This is a neighborhood where it is common for people who were less than ten feet from the crime scene not to have seen anything, because they fear for their lives if they talk to the police.

[Navy Patriot]

Your comment is worthy. Armed, law abiding citizens tend to reduce and mitigate violent crime. Unarmed they can not. What are the concealed carry laws in Pittsburgh?

This is one of the few news articles I have seen of late that the race of the suspects is mentioned when black.

I find it disturbing that the police express unsuredness that the community will help in the apprehension of these killers. Are things that bad in the "city of brotherly love"?

[pubmom]

Two Killed in restaurant shooting, from this morning's Tribune-Review

[BigBlueJon]

Hate crime?

[BigBlueJon]

Thanks for the new info.

[aristeides]

Witnesses said Mitchell had been paralyzed in another shooting in the mid-1990s.

Long time to hold a grudge. I wonder if he was due to testify against somebody, or was known to be a police informant.

[aristeides]

Also killed were Parrish Freeman, 35, and Taylor Coles, 8. A woman wounded in the attack was hospitalized in serious condition Saturday.

Did they mean to kill all witnesses? If so, I'm glad to learn that they apparently failed. I hope the police have a guard put on that woman in serious condition.

[stumpy]

In most of the nations high crime neighborhoods, there are plenty of law abiding citizens who live in fear of the animals that live by them.

In the early 70's I was a deputy sheriff working the western suburbs of watts (Lennox sheriff's station). I had friends that lived in that neighborhood from my school days. In order to talk to them while working, I had to pull up to their house with my red lights on, and beat on their door screaming POLICE. That was the only way to keep them from being targeted by the gang bangers that lived in the neighborhood.

[aristeides]

In most of the nations high crime neighborhoods, there are plenty of law abiding citizens who live in fear of the animals that live by them.

So why do they vote for the politicians that foster the crime?