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East Allegheny officials urge 'better choices' after ex-football players killed
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Officials in the East Allegheny School District said today they are saddened by the shooting death of one their high school graduates this weekend in Duquesne.
Charles Davis, 18, was the second recent East Allegheny High School football player to die in as many months. Former running back Chauncey Williams, also 18, was killed July 1 in McKeesport.
"Charles was a likable person with a good heart and a quick wit," district officials wrote in a statement.
Mr. Davis had played wide receiver on the team in 2011 and "he had an excellent senior season. Our heartfelt sympathy is extended to his friends and family."
A passerby found Mr. Davis, of North Versailles, dead of multiple gunshot wounds in the driveway of an abandoned house in the 600 block Mehaffey Street about 8:30 a.m. Police said his body had been there for several hours.
Detectives were investigating the possibility that Mr. Davis was involved in a shooting earlier in the morning not far from where his body was found.
Just before 1 a.m. Duquesne police officers responded to reports of shots fired three blocks away. The driver of a red vehicle jumped out and took off on foot when they arrived. Officers chased the man on foot but lost sight of him.
About the same time, they heard additional gunfire, Chief Richard Adams said today.
Officers towed the car to the police station, where they found shell casings, bullet holes and blood on the seat. They learned that the vehicle had been in Mr. Davis' possession earlier in the night, though it did not belong to him, the chief said.
Police aren't sure of the motivation for the killing, Chief Adams said. Allegheny County police did not immediately return calls seeking comment.
Mr. Davis used to live in Duquesne but was not well-known to police there, Chief Adams said.
"The East Allegheny School District is truly saddened by the loss of another young life that has afflicted our society recently," the district's statement said. "Our hope is that through more parental intervention and a continued strong educational system, better choices will be made to prevent these types of tragedies in the future."
First Published August 13, 2012 2:36 pm
