Hill District incident leaves one dead, one critical
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An unknown gunman wounded a 34-year-old man late Friday in the Hill District and then fled in a vehicle that detectives believe was involved in a hit-and-run accident moments later that killed a 64-year-old man.
The Allegheny County medical examiner's office identified the pedestrian who died as Garry Bryant of the Hill District. The office said Mr. Bryant died of blunt force trauma, but the manner of death was pending investigation. He was pronounced dead at 2:38 a.m. this morning at UPMC Mercy.
Because of how the incidents were reported to 911, it took detectives some time to figure out what had occurred and in what sequence.
Initially, at 10:12 p.m., Zone 2 officers were dispatched to Watt Lane at Bedford Avenue for a male possibly shot in the head. There they found Mr. Bryant on the ground bleeding from a head wound which, because of the 911 call, was believed to have been caused by a gunshot.
While officers and paramedics tended to Mr. Bryant, police were alerted that another male had been shot at 2517 Chauncey Drive.
The gunshot victim, also from the Hill District but whose name was not released, was taken to Mercy in critical but stable condition with gunshot wounds to his torso and arm.
The investigation revealed the 911 calls came in reverse order of when they occurred. Police said the gunman chased the younger man up Watt Lane to the 2500 block of Bedford Avenue where he shot him. Wounded, the victim continued to run towards Chauncey Drive, collapsing there on a car. Following the shooting, a red sports utility vehicle sped from the scene and may have struck Mr. Bryant during the getaway.
Adding further confusion early on was the arrival of another gunshot victim at UPMC Presbyterian shortly after the Hill District incidents, which initially left open the possibility his shooting also was connected.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the city homicide squad at 412-323-7161.
First Published March 20, 2010 12:13 am
