Maleek Thomas, an 18-year-old Black male, was filmed skipping with joy at his high school graduation just six days before his life was cut short. Family remembered him as a smart, witty, and well-raised young man with morals who was respectful and mannerable. His aunt recalled the pride on his mother’s face in a photo from that graduation ceremony at Pittsburgh Milliones, noting sadly that she now had to bury her son.
The fatal encounter happened on the night of June 24, 2022, in
Pittsburgh’s Hill District. A young man was outside an apartment building on Chauncy Drive, throwing rocks and sticks at a second-floor window because he felt the music inside was too loud. Maleek, who was in a courtyard across the street with another person, approached and asked the man who he was. In response, the man pulled on a “shiesty” ski mask, drew a 9mm handgun, and shot Maleek. He was rushed to a hospital but died shortly after arrival.
Investigators quickly identified 18-year-old Shaun Scott as a suspect. Police were already investigating Scott for other cases, including an attempted carjacking, and were able to match his description to surveillance footage from the shooting. Officers also found a video on Scott’s Facebook page where he wore a shirt, shoes, and a rolled-up ski mask that all matched the clothing worn by the shooter. Police arrested Scott on a separate warrant, finding a 9mm handgun inside a black fanny pack he was carrying, which also matched an item seen in the surveillance video.
During a police interview, Scott admitted to being at the scene and firing his gun at Maleek. He confirmed he had been throwing rocks at the window and said he shot Maleek after Maleek repeatedly asked who he was. Scott claimed he acted in self-defense, though he was not permitted to carry a firearm due to a delinquent aggravated assault case from 2017. He was charged with criminal homicide and two firearms offenses and held at the Allegheny County Jail. Authorities also noted that Scott had been charged in the separate homicide of a 15-year-old boy that occurred in March 2022.
The case against Shaun Scott for the killing of Maleek Thomas proceeded to trial. In August 2026, a jury convicted Scott of third-degree murder for the fatal shooting.
