In the early morning hours of September 14, 2017, the life of 43-year-old Omar Berry, a Black male, was cut short in a residence on Mission Street in the South Side Slopes neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Responding to a 911 call shortly after 5 a.m., police discovered Berry on the second floor of the building with at least one gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The initial call to emergency services was made by Louis Dickerson, a 42-year-old man who also lived in the same apartment building.
Initially, Dickerson attempted to mislead investigators, claiming that an unknown intruder had been responsible for shooting his friend. However, as detectives processed the scene, they discovered evidence that contradicted his account, including a bullet hole on the inside of Dickerson's apartment door. Faced with this inconsistency and the prospect of a gunshot residue test, Dickerson's story began to unravel. He then changed his narrative, blaming a phantom man nicknamed 'G,' before ultimately confessing to the crime himself.
In his confession, Dickerson admitted to shooting Berry after an argument over money. The two men had been drinking and playing cards that night. Dickerson claimed that he feared Berry was going to rob him and that he acted in self-defense, believing Berry was reaching for a gun. However, he later admitted that he realized Berry was unarmed after the shooting. Following his confession, Dickerson led police to the murder weapon, a revolver he had hidden outside near a memorial in front of his home.
Louis Dickerson was arrested and charged with criminal homicide, tampering with evidence, and a firearms violation. In late September 2017, a district judge ordered him to stand trial on all charges. He was subsequently held in the Allegheny County Jail without bail.
