Hundreds of law enforcement officers responded to an ‘active shooter’ situation in Pittsburgh’s Garfield neighborhood Wednesday.
Pittsburgh Public Safety told residents to avoid the “4800 block of Broad Street and North Mathilda Street in Garfield,” the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
UPDATE: This is an extremely active situation with shots continuing to be fired.
Please avoid the area at this time. https://t.co/IA6Th3MmQZ
— Pittsburgh Public Safety (@PghPublicSafety) August 23, 2023
Allegheny County Sheriff’s deputies reportedly went to a residence to serve an eviction notice when the suspect began shooting.
The scene escalated into a shootout, with hundreds of rounds being fired.
Officials reportedly attempted to evacuate the entire neighborhood amidst the ‘extremely active situation.’
🚨#BREAKING: Multiple Authorities are on High Alert as Active Shooter Unfolds with Hundreds of Shots Fired evacuations under way throughout the neighborhood⁰⁰📌#Pittsburgh | #Pennsylvania
Currently, multiple authorities and other agencies are at the scene and on high alert… pic.twitter.com/bfAZ6yaQhD
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) August 23, 2023
“A neighbor said he heard hundreds of rounds when the shooting started and there have been hundreds of rounds since. Said he immediately hit the ground in his living room,” the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Megan Guza reports.
A neighbor said he heard hundreds of rounds when the shooting started and there have been hundreds of rounds since. Said he immediately hit the ground in his living room.
— Megan Guza (@meganguzaPG) August 23, 2023
“Easily hundreds of SWAT officers here, like from both Pittsburgh police and Allegheny County. Sheriff’s deputies were the first to encounter the shooter,” Guza added.
Easily hundreds of SWAT officers here, like from both Pittsburgh police and Allegheny County. Sheriff’s deputies were the first to encounter the shooter.
— Megan Guza (@meganguzaPG) August 23, 2023
“More from the Allegheny County sheriff’s office: The active scene in Garfield began this morning when a detail from our office attempted to serve an eviction notice, which was followed by gunfire from the occupant of the residence,” Guza reports.
“One of our Sergeants who was leading the detail sustained a minor non-gunfire related injury while avoiding the incoming gunfire. He is ok.”
More from the Allegheny County sheriff’s office:
The active scene in Garfield began this morning when a detail from our office attempted to serve an eviction notice, which was followed by gunfire from the occupant of the residence.
One of our Sergeants who was leading the…— Megan Guza (@meganguzaPG) August 23, 2023
More shots fired at active scene in Pittsburgh pic.twitter.com/wR2S9bqxew
— Megan Guza (@meganguzaPG) August 23, 2023
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports:
Neighbor Leslie Thompson told Post-Gazette news partner KDKA-TV she heard officers arrive at her neighbor’s house and try to make entry.
“I went to shut my windows and at that point was when I heard shots ring out,” she said. “I was very nervous. … Trying to get to the basement was unbearable. Shots were ringing out everywhere.”
ADVERTISEMENTShe said shots came through the window and into her living room and bathroom.
A neighbor who did not want to be named said he heard more than a hundred shots during the incident.
“I’ve never heard bullets like this,” he said. “Something you’d see in a movie.”
Numerous roads in the area were closed while authorities arrived to the scene, and shots were continuing to be fired.
Officers were working to evacuate people from homes in the block. Police asked anyone in the homes to continue sheltering in place, call 911 and identify their address and location to be safely removed.
“In the beginning, all we heard was the cops,” Chris Wilkinson, who is visiting family in the area, told KDKA-TV. “They were banging on the door where the shooting takes place. They were banging on it telling him they were there. And after a couple of minutes of them doing it, they started to kick down the door, but after a few tries they couldn’t do it. Then, they got a sledgehammer and took down the door, and after that shots started to be fired.”
This is a developing story.
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