On a Sunday evening in October, 32-year-old Richard Nathaniel Littlejohn Jr. was driving his Chrysler 200 in North Versailles, Pennsylvania, after leaving a gender reveal party. In the vehicle with him were three passengers, including two young children, a 1-year-old and a 10-year-old. As he drove, a Nissan Altima began to follow them, and soon after, shots were fired from the Nissan into Mr. Littlejohn's car.
Struck by the gunfire, Mr.
Littlejohn was killed at the scene, and his vehicle went out of control, crossing into the eastbound lanes and causing a multi-vehicle crash. A Jeep Compass collided head-on with the Nissan, resulting in a total of eleven people being injured, among them five children, including a newborn. The violent chain of events brought traffic on Route 30 to a standstill for hours as emergency responders tended to the injured and police began their investigation into what was now a homicide.
In the immediate aftermath of the crash, one of the occupants of the Nissan Altima fled the scene on foot. Police soon identified two suspects, 22-year-old Tyrone Freeman and 23-year-old Erik Addison. Freeman was quickly apprehended and, after receiving medical treatment for injuries sustained in the crash, was taken to the Allegheny County Jail. An arrest warrant was issued for Addison, who remained at large. Both men faced a string of serious charges, including criminal homicide, aggravated assault, and recklessly endangering another person.
The community mourned the loss of Richard Nathaniel Littlejohn Jr., who was remembered as a beloved father and a dedicated coach for the Hill District Rebels, a youth football organization. Friends and family described him as a great man and a positive motivator who was passionate about giving back to the youth.
Months later, in March 2020, Erik Addison was located and arrested by sheriff's deputies in Mount Oliver. However, the legal proceedings against him took an unexpected turn. The criminal homicide charges against Addison were ultimately withdrawn. According to the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office, this was due to a key witness failing to appear for a preliminary hearing. The witness had been taken into custody on a material witness warrant but was then mistakenly released from the Allegheny County Jail and could not be located, which prevented the case against Addison from moving forward.
