1 Suspect Caught In Fatal Uniontown Shooting
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UNIONTOWN, Pa. (KDKA) -- The main suspect was apprehended by police Wednesday afternoon in New Brighton after one person was killed in a shooting late Tuesday night in Uniontown, Fayette County.
Tyree "Brick" Smith, 22, has been taken into custody, KDKA confirmed, and taken to the Beaver County Jail. Police are also looking for a second man, described as 5-feet-8-inches tall with a large build, dark skin and "large ears."
Smiling, Smith of Penn Hills said, "I'm innocent, I ain't got nothing to say," as he was sitting in the back of a police car.
James Walko, who witnessed Smith's arrest, said, "It was almost like watching a TV show at night ... it was multiple police cars, multiple cops at the front door [of an apartment house]. Ultimately, they told him to step backward, don't look at us. Show your hands. It was very intense for about five minutes, while he backed down the stairway."
Police, working on a tip, said they were able to track Smith down, and converged on the New Brighton apartment building.
New Brighton Police Chief Ronald Walton said. "We went to the residence, we were able to make verbal contact with him; he was apprehended without further incident."
Police were called to the scene on Dunlap Street around 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday night. When they arrived, they found a deceased man later identified as 28-year-old Richard Hinton of Uniontown inside the house with multiple gunshot wounds.
Two children, ages 11 and 14 were witnesses to the murder.
Uniontown Lt. Tom Kolencik told KDKA TV News, "You could see that they were upset, and they were scared. They were also forthcoming and honest, and helped a lot in the investigation."
Smith was also wanted by Aliquippa police for an April 16. According to an Aliquippa police report, he shot into a house in the 300 block of Return Street in Aliquippa. Police said one resident's family member had recently filed for a protection from abuse order against him. Smith fled after the shooting, police said.
KDKA's Brenda Waters Reports:
In Tuesday night's shooting, police said there were several other people inside the house, including the children.
A juvenile told police they woke up and saw two men in their bedroom. The men were said to be passing a revolver back and forth. One of the men, known to the juvenile as "Brick," allegedly said, "If someone runs up in here, we gonna blast them."
The juvenile said Hinton came up the stairs and got into an argument with "Brick." The argument escalated and "Brick" allegedly pulled out the revolver and shot Hinton in the head. As "Brick" left the room, he allegedly fired two more shots into Hinton's body.
Then, "Brick" and the other unidentified man fled out the back door of the home.
Police obtained photos of "Brick" and showed them to witnesses, who identified the man as Smith.
According to the report on the April 16 shooting, residents told officers Smith showed up and was "fighting to get into the house." Police said Smith pulled out a black and silver handgun and fired into the house. About five people were inside at the time.
Officers found a shell casing on the street, police said.
KDKA's Meghan Schiller Reports:
According to the report, a woman contacted Aliquippa police that night and identified Smith as the shooter. Police said she reported Smith was headed back to Aliquippa because he left cocaine in the woman's vehicle. However, he did not return to the area, police said. Two of the victims on April 17 reported Smith was threatening them over Facebook. Police said the victims showed officers a video of Smith holding an assault rifle and threatening that he was 'on his way to Aliquippa to kill all of them.'"
Smith also claimed to be the cousin of a man charged with shooting five people at a 2016 picnic in Wilkinsburg, police said.
A police report filed by Aliquippa police lists Smith's address as 328 Crescent Gardens Drive. Uniontown police did not release a recent address connected to him, but said he has ties to Aliquippa, Penn Hills and Pittsburgh.
Smith was charged by Aliquippa police with discharging a firearm into an occupied structure, aggravated assault, making terroristic threats, reckless endangerment, carrying a firearm without a license and illegal possession of a firearm.
