17-Year-Old Girl Headed To Trial In Fatal McKees Rocks Shooting
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A local teenager is headed to trial in connection with the fatal shooting of a former Sto-Rox High School star football player.
Charges against 17-year-old Destiny Brown have been held for court.
Police say Brown is accused of firing a gun after a confrontation between a group of people on Russellwood Avenue in McKees Rocks last month.
Marshawn Ptomey, 19, was wounded. He was taken to a local hospital, but later died from his injuries.
Brown's attorney says she fired in self-defense.
"Clearly, having a gun is not anything I would condone, but I shudder at the thought of what would have happened if she didn't have it in this case, cause otherwise she would have been perhaps beaten to death there," said Milton Raiford, the defense attorney.
"I don't understand how she could have felt forced or threatened; and she shot him in the back of his head, at that point there was no threat to her," said Sonya Smith, the victim's sister. "She said he pushed her. I don't understand."
Charges were originally filed against a 16-year-old boy, but they were later dropped. According to investigators, the teenager was there when the shooting happened, but they determined he did not pull the trigger.
Allegheny County Police later filed charges of attempted homicide, aggravated assault, tampering with evidence and firearms violations against Brown.
She will be tried as an adult.
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