A Pittsburgh man is facing criminal charges after police say he fired several gunshots in the air with children nearby Wednesday evening at a Neville Island roller rink.
Tommy Lamont Paige Jr., 32, of Pittsburgh’s Marshall-Shadeland neighborhood is charged with endangering the welfare of children, recklessly endangering another person and escape.
Ohio Township Police, who serve Neville Township, responded to the Neville Roller Drome just before 9 p.m. after reports of a fight and active gunfire, according to a criminal complaint filed against Paige.
Upon arrival, police found several fired and non-fired bullet casings in front of the roller rink with many women and children outside.
Witnesses identified Paige as the possible shooter, but he fled in a car after police directed him to stop, the complaint said.
A cellphone video of the incident appeared to capture a physical altercation, where Paige was “struck with his own crutches,” according to the complaint.
Another man then offers a handgun to Paige, who fires a volley of bullets into the air with others just feet away, the complaint said.
The complaint did not say whether anyone was injured by the gunfire, but it said medics were summoned after several children were exposed to pepper spray. The origins of the pepper spray are unclear.
It’s also unclear where or how Paige was eventually arrested, which the complaint does not mention.
He was awaiting his preliminary arraignment Thursday morning.