Allegheny County police have charged two teens as adults, stemming from shots fired into an occupied car on May 4 in North Braddock.
Nasir Williams, 15, of North Versailles, and Jmeire Estes, 17, of Trafford, are charged with gun violations, conspiracy and multiple counts of aggravated assault and recklessly endangering another person.
None of six people in the car were injured when it was struck by three bullets in the 600 block of Sixth Street, police said. The shooting was reported to authorities at about 1:30 p.m. on May 4.
One of the victims told investigators the car was shot at by two passengers in a pursuing pickup truck who were wearing ski masks and were using a rifle and a handgun, according to a criminal complaint filed by police.
The pursuit began in Braddock, where the six people gathered to repair a memorial to a victim of gun violence that had been desecrated.
The victim told police the pickup truck slowly rolled past the group, with the windows down and its four occupants “all intently staring at the group,” according to the complaint. “Understanding the dangers in the area,” the six got into the car as the pickup truck turned around and came up behind the car.
According to the victim’s account, the car fled along Sixth Street with the pickup in pursuit. “As they neared Bridge Way, the occupants of the truck began shooting. at their vehicle,” the complaint states. “Due to their familiarity with the roadway, they were able to outmaneuver the pickup truck and managed to escape.”
Police said they learned the truck was reported stolen from North Huntingdon. It was recovered later the same day in Pittsburgh’s Lincoln-Lemington neighborhood.
Investigators said they were able to identify the two charged suspects through information from witness interviews and social media posts.
On Friday, county detectives, assisted by Eastern Regional Mon-Valley Police and North Versailles Township Police, took Estes into custody while serving a warrant at an address on Maple Street in East Pittsburgh.
They recovered four firearms, including a handgun with a Glock switch — a device that allows a semi-automatic handgun to function as fully automatic and is illegal under federal law.
With help from Pittsburgh Police and the U.S. Marshals Service, authorities also arrested Williams the same day in Pittsburgh. Police said he had a stolen gun in his possession.
The suspects were denied bail and were placed in the Allegheny County Jail. They face a preliminary hearing on May 23.