Man shot in the arm in Downtown Pittsburgh
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A man was shot in the arm in Downtown Pittsburgh on Tuesday.
Officials said the shooting happened in the area of Smithfield Street and Fourth Avenue around 4 p.m. Pittsburgh Public Safety said the man was taken to a local hospital in stable condition. He was shot twice.
Pittsburgh Police Chief Larry Scirotto said investigators believe this was some type of road rage incident that started on the South Side.
The suspect may have been driving a silver Dodge Charger. They are not in custody.
The shooting comes after the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police increased its officer presence Downtown. Police said the new "high-visibility police patrol initiative" aims to create a safer environment around the clock. Right now, there are 20 police officers assigned full-time to Downtown Pittsburgh, up from 10 last summer. The new plan includes between 13 and 24 more officers patrolling Downtown.
Scirotto said police in Washington, D.C., Maryland and most of South Florida are doing this, and it is working.
In a post on Facebook, Pittsburgh police released crime stats from the new initiative. During the week of July 8-14, there were 34 total arrests.
Scirotto says the goal of this new effort is to reassure people that officers are there if and when they're needed.
"(Downtown) is a safe environment," Scirotto said on Tuesday. "These incidents shake the core of people's comfort, and I don't take that lightly. Our officers don't take that lightly. We do our best to ensure that environment feels safe."
