Teenager shot by stranger in Downtown Pittsburgh, suspect taken in for questioning
UPDATE: Police said Martel Hedge Jr. has been charged with aggravated assault and four counts of recklessly endangering another person.
The previous story from Feb. 19, 2025, is below.
A teenager was shot in the stomach by a stranger in the middle of the day in Downtown Pittsburgh on Smithfield Street on Wednesday afternoon.
Police are currently questioning the shooter after they were taken into custody, but some want more police patrolling the area.
"It was just one loud pop," recalled Buddy Ellis who was in the area at the time of the shooting.
Just after 4 p.m. in a busy part of downtown across from the old Kaufman's building on Smithfield Street, the shooting took place.
"I just [saw] a bunch of cup cars and it was a matter of like three or four minutes when everything was all taped off and all the sidewalks were blocked," Ellis said. "I missed my bus."
Brian Pfender documented the scene and recorded police rendering aid to the victim.
"I saw it, looked like a young gentleman lying on the ground," he said. "Police surrounding him, doing first aid to stop the bleeding, because he was shot. When he was lifted up to go into the ambulance, he was still alive."
The victim is 17 years old, according to a friend who talked to KDKA-TV off-camera. He said the two were standing near the bus stop and then his friend was shot in the stomach after some kind of disagreement with a stranger.
Pittsburgh police said an officer heard the shot and was able to take a 21-year-old into custody.
"Right away, [they] saw an individual with a gun in his hand and that individual immediately dropped the gun," said Pittsburgh Public Safety Public Information Officer Cara Cruz.
Even with the city doing high-visibility patrols downtown with officers, some still believe more needs to be done.
"I meet my kids down here all the time and it's so bad down here," said Patricia Ray.
Ray also went on to say she's afraid of possibly getting shot.
No charges have been filed as of Wednesday night but police have said they are looking at all the video they can, including those from PRT buses.
