Police investigating possibility 2 shootings in Pittsburgh area are connected
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Police are working to determine if two shootings Thursday in the Pittsburgh area are connected.
The first happened in the city's Perry North neighborhood after police said a man attempted to shoot and kill a postal worker. The second incident happened on McKnight Road where police said a person and multiple cars were shot.
KDKA-TV looked into a timeline of when both shootings took place to learn more about the incidents and a possible connection.
According to Pittsburgh police, reports of a ShotSpotter alert were first reported at 2:01 p.m. Thursday on Waldorf Street. That's where police said 28-year-old Martinel Humphries shot at a postal worker three times with an AK-47. The postal worker was not injured.
According to a criminal complaint, by 2:14 p.m. police were alerted that Humphries was on Oakdale Street.
KDKA-TV talked to a homeowner on Oakdale Street who captured Humphries on surveillance video pulling into their driveway at 2:10 p.m. Sherri Kurtz said her father pulled in behind him at 2:11 p.m. and thought he was getting robbed.
"He was backing his big truck up the driveway and he noticed a car in his driveway. So he stopped because he got out and some dude ran up over the hill and went down the back road. My dad called my husband because he thought he was getting robbed," Kurtz said.
Kurtz said the Humphries returned three different times in an attempt to get his car. Surveillance video captured some of the interaction between Humphries and Kurtz's father:
Humphries: "Excuse me? Can I get my car?"
Homeowner: "Do you want to get shot?"
Humphries: "Ok."
Kurtz said Humphries ran away and down the street by 2:14 p.m. She said police arrived by 2:20 p.m.
According to 911 calls, this incident and the shooting on McKnight Road appeared to happen at the same time.
A few seconds later, another 911 call is reported: "Someone is firing shots in the parking lot. We heard at least three shots. A male jumped out of a truck and started firing. The caller believes it was a burgundy pickup truck."
The first 911 call regarding the McKnight Road shooting came out at 2:20 p.m.
Ross Township police said they're investigating the possibility of the two shootings being connected. So far, they have not confirmed the two are related.
Humphries was arrested on Thursday. No arrests have been made in the McKnight Road shooting.
Both Ross Township police and Pittsburgh police were seen on Oakdale Street on Friday morning.
Kurtz said she believes they were searching for more evidence.
"They said evidence, possibly the clip, but they're trying to find whatever they can find. I just want the nightmare to go away," Kurtz said.
According to a criminal complaint, Humphries' gun was found in a wooded area near Woods Run Avenue. Police reported the gun did not have a magazine but did have a round in the chamber.
