16-year-old killed in late-night shooting in Homestead
HOMESTEAD (KDKA) - Allegheny County police are investigating a shooting in Homestead that killed a 16-year-old late Friday night.
KDKA's Lauren Linder talked to the teen's mom. She was not ready to go on camera but said the family is devastated. In the meantime, police remain tight-lipped about the investigation as they try to figure out what led to the incident.
#BREAKING: 16-yr-old Dominic Sanner was shot & killed in a shooting last night in Homestead. His family gave me this photo & say he’s from West Mifflin & Mount Pleasant.@AlleghenyCoPD say they responded just before 11:30pm Fri. & found him btw 2 homes on E 17th by Maple.@KDKA pic.twitter.com/bPF5EDOEBX
— Lauren Linder (@lauren_linder) May 6, 2023
Friday night, Joel Jenkins' Homestead neighborhood fell victim to gun violence.
"Our society is in a bad way. This is happening more and more. If it's not single shootings, it's three or four people getting shot somewhere," Jenkins said.
He was upstairs in his house looking at his phone when he heard a noise outside.
"I said I wonder if that's a gunshot, but I didn't think any more of it," Jenkins said.
Just a few doors down, his neighbor, who didn't want to be identified, heard about three pops and then a cry or a scream. It wasn't long before bright lights shined through windows across E 17th by Maple.
"I looked out. I seen they was there, and I'm like, 'Dang, what happened?'" the female neighbor said.
Cameron Brookins also lives on the block.
"You couldn't see nothing but lights and police cars and cops everywhere," Brookins said.
Police said they got called to respond to a shooting just before 11:30 p.m. When they arrived, they found a 16-year-old shot in the chest, who died on the scene.
People living in the area told KDKA investigators located him between two homes near evidence markers.
The medical examiner identified him as Dominic Sanner.
"Most of them are kids that are 16. I mean, they don't even know what's going on yet; pulling the trigger, taking a life," Brookins said.
Brookins has a 17-year-old son himself. He's concerned, as are his neighbors.
"You could be on your porch and get shot, you can be at the grocery store and get shot, you can be at the school and get shot," the female neighbor said.
People living off E 17th in Homestead tell me @AlleghenyCoPD investigators found 16-year-old Dominic Sanner btw these two homes. He was shot in the chest & died at the scene.
— Lauren Linder (@lauren_linder) May 7, 2023
Those I talked w/ say they heard 1-3 gunshots
Circumstances behind shooting remain unclear@KDKA pic.twitter.com/Qz5ILvYzAX
"People seem to be a lot quicker to go from zero to 60 over something than they used to be," Jenkins said.
While circumstances behind the shooting remain unclear, they said when it comes to guns, something needs to change.
"I hope people pay more attention, you know, to themselves and think about the choices and decisions that they make," Jenkins said.
No one is in custody right now. KDKA reached out to the police for updates but has not heard back at this time.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Allegheny County Police Tip Line at 1-833-255-8477.