Teen dies after shooting in Monessen
MONESSEN, Pa. (KDKA) — A Monessen teenager who was shot on Tuesday night has died.
Westmoreland County 911 was alerted to a shooting on South 14th Street on Tuesday around 8:15 p.m. Once first responders arrived, they found a teenager who was shot in the chest. He was flown to a hospital in Pittsburgh for treatment but later died.
Police are calling the death of the 16-year-old boy a homicide. Police Chief David Yuhasz said the investigation is far from over, and he has several teens he still wants to talk to.
Posts poured in on social media throughout Tuesday night and Wednesday praying for the teen. When the devastating news spread on Wednesday, those well-wishes turned to condolences for the family.
Monessen football coach Wade Brown posted a picture of Amari Altomore saying, in part, "My guy Amari didn't make it through surgery and has passed on to a better place. I have so much to say but I can't get it out right. Love you Amari."
Friends and family of the Monessen High School student gathered at the scene of the shooting on Wednesday when they heard the tragic news of his death. Community members said the teen was an outstanding football player who loved his mother.
"He loved his mom, he had dogs," family friend Erica Gettemy said. "He was just a good, little boy. He was a Monessen Greyhound. He loved playing football. He was just a good guy. He was a good young man. He wasn't a troublemaker. He was all about his mom. He was all about doing what he needed to do for his mother."
"I don't know why someone would do that to this kid," family friend Luke Farmer said. "I never heard anything bad about him, and I know his cousins and his family. I worked out with his mother downtown at the gym. That's her only child."
The Westmoreland County coroner identified the teen on Thursday. According to the report, the cause and manner of death are pending.
According to the Monessen School District Facebook, the entire district operated on a two-hour delay on Wednesday.
A letter was sent to families and staff announcing the two-hour delay, saying it was due to a "student from the high school was flown by medical helicopter to the hospital due to serious injuries."