Emanuel Boneza, a 32-year-old man of Rwandan descent, tragically lost his life on September 18, 2018, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The incident that led to his death began in a ravine in Avalon, where he was with two other men, Musa Ramadhan Muya and Salim Hamadi Salim. The three men were taking turns shooting a semi-automatic pistol that Muya had brought with him. At some point, Boneza, being the only one of legal drinking age, went to buy beer for the group.
A dispute arose when Boneza returned with a type of beer that Muya was not pleased with. The argument escalated, and after firing the gun twice, Boneza handed the semi-automatic pistol to Muya, asking him to reload it. Instead of simply reloading the weapon, Muya turned the gun on Boneza and shot him four times. Despite his injuries, Boneza managed to run out of the ravine and toward the intersection of West and South Starr avenues.
Police were called to the area of Oak and South Starr avenues shortly before 8 p.m. for a report of a man who had been shot. Upon their arrival, they discovered Boneza lying in the street with multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported by paramedics to Allegheny General Hospital, where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.
In connection with the fatal shooting, Musa Ramadhan Muya, who was 21 years old at the time, was charged with homicide and carrying a firearm without a license. He later pleaded guilty to one count of third-degree murder. As part of a plea agreement, the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office agreed to withdraw the firearms charge against him. The second man present at the time of the shooting, Salim Hamadi Salim, also 21, was charged with tampering with physical evidence and a firearms violation.
