Pittsburgh Mass Shooting: Two 17-year-old boys killed at North Side Airbnb party
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A search for suspects is intensifying as Pittsburgh Police are trying to track down those responsible for a deadly mass shooting that occurred inside a packed party on the city's North Side.
Two boys were killed and over a dozen other people were injured after gunfire rang out inside and outside a party over the weekend at an Airbnb rental unit in Pittsburgh's Allegheny East neighborhood. Hundreds of people were forced to scramble for safety.
Families and friends are in mourning following the deaths of Matthew Steffy-Ross and Jaiden Brown. Police say the two 17-year-old boys were shot and died at the hospital.
Police responded to the scene of the shooting just after 12:30 a.m. on Sunday after receiving Shotspotter alerts for more than 90 rounds fired.
A party was happening at the time, with more than 200 people in attendance, many of them underage.
Pittsburgh Police Chief Scott Schubert believes there was an altercation and then the shooting began. According to police, a total of 10 people were shot. Five others were injured after jumping out of windows to escape or running to safety. Another person had their car shot at.
Chief Schubert calls the incident 'heartbreaking.'
"Our hearts go out to the victims and their families and anybody that was traumatized from this incident," Schubert said.
"It is our top priority to find out who did this and get them off the street," Schubert added.
Chief Schubert also called the scene 'chaotic' and 'traumatic.' Schubert says police are working hard to arrest those responsible for this tragedy, and said he believes there are multiple shooters.
Anyone with information, photos, or videos regarding the incident is asking to contact the Pittsburgh Police Major Crimes unit. Information can be submitted online. Click here to submit files.
Due to the tragedy, Pittsburgh Public Schools is operating on a modified lockdown on Monday. This means that only those with scheduled appointments are permitted in or out of district school buildings. The district made the announcement after learning four students were injured in the mass shooting. District leaders are working with school leaders to monitor any student that may need support.
Many people are still trying to wrap their heads around what happened early Sunday morning, including the owner of the other unit inside the building where the shooting occurred.
Bullets riddled both downstairs bedrooms in the unit below where the party was held.
"It's not just in the front of the property. They're in the back also, wherever they were shooting from, there was bullets everywhere. If you look down, there's still a bullet on the ground," Stephen Long said.
A family with children from Charlotte were staying in the unit, who had been in town for the Easter holiday since Wednesday. The family tells KDKA that the music from the party started shaking the walls, and they decided to leave the unit at 11:30 on Saturday night.
Police the shooting began around 12:30 a.m.
Long says he believes there could have been more victims if the renters didn't leave the unit when they did.
Flowers now lay at the doorstep of the rental property where the shooting occurred.
Numerous people stopped by on Sunday to pay their respects to those who lost their lives.
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey issued a statement after the shooting, saying the city needs to address the gun violence.
"It is critical that we come together now to help reduce the violence currently happening while we begin to do the long-term work of ending the culture of violence that is enabling the senseless loss of life we are experiencing today," Gainey said, in part.
Gainey went on to say that a meeting will be held between Public Safety officials and community leaders to introduce the 'all-in' citywide approach to Public Safety and to get feedback from everyone involved.
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Stay with KDKA as this developing story continues.