South Side restaurant employee in critical condition after being struck by stray bullet
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - An early morning shooting on the South Side sent one person to the hospital not even a full day after Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey outlined his plan to reduce violence.
Crews at Cambod-Ican Kitchen are cleaning up after bullets came flying into their restaurant, destroying their windows and sending an employee to the hospital.
"He stepped outside, came back in, called 911 said there was lots of guns out there, something is gonna happen," said Daniel McSwiggen, a Cambod-Ican Kitchen owner.
Not long after, diners on East Carson went ducking for cover.
"Within 10 minutes we hear "boom boom boom boom." We start hearing some bullets," said McSwiggen.
McSwiggen said the same employee who called 911 originally was shot. Police said he was struck in the leg and taken to the hospital in critical condition.
McSwiggen is one of a few South Side business owners who believe an increased police presence in the area, especially as it gets warmer, would be a welcomed sight.
"It's been chaos for too long. Twelve is not enough, we probably need about 50 cops to squash the problem," said business owner Rich Cupka.
Spotlights on the South Side have been used to help light up the area, but Cupka believes that's not enough to stop the violence.
"It lights up the problem but it doesn't stop the violence, it doesn't stop the chaos. You can have more police, you can have police stations on every corner. If you don't let the police do their jobs, nothing is gonna fix it," he said.
As business owners hope the South Side grows safer during the summer months, Pittsburgh Public Safety said the investigation by major crimes is ongoing.