In the late summer of 2017, a young man's life was tragically cut short in what began as a prearranged sale of marijuana. Andre Williams, a 26-year-old male, had made plans to sell four ounces of marijuana for a sum of $800. The arrangement was made with an individual he knew only through a Facebook profile and a contact number. On the night of September 2nd, Williams, accompanied by two others, drove to the 8000 block of Mark Drive in Penn Hills to carry out the transaction.
As they arrived at their destination at approximately 10:40 p.m., they noticed two men awaiting them. One of the men retreated into the nearby bushes as Williams' vehicle came to a stop, raising the suspicions of one of the passengers. Williams, who was seated in the back, exited the car to engage with the remaining man. In a sudden and violent turn of events, the prospective buyer produced a firearm and shot Andre Williams in the forehead. His companions rushed him to the intersection of Lincoln Road and Vine Street, where they awaited the arrival of law enforcement. Williams was subsequently transported to a hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries the following afternoon, on September 3, 2017.
The investigation into the homicide led Allegheny County police detectives to the digital trail left by the orchestrator of the fatal meeting. The Facebook account and phone number used to set up the drug deal were traced to a man named Steven L. Sparrow of Penn Hills. A chilling private message sent from the same Facebook account just an hour and a half after the shooting stated, “I pop dat rite n his face.” The user had also disclosed Sparrow's home address, which was located less than half a mile from the scene of the crime, in another message.
An arrest warrant was issued for Steven L. Sparrow, charging him with homicide, robbery, and the illegal possession of a firearm. The manhunt concluded on the morning of October 4, 2017, when sheriff's deputies located Sparrow at a townhouse in McKeesport. He was discovered hiding in the attic of a female acquaintance's home with the assistance of a heat-sensing camera. After a tense 40-minute negotiation, with the SWAT team on standby, Sparrow surrendered to the authorities. He was subsequently incarcerated at the Allegheny County Jail. The woman whose home he was found in was also arrested on an unrelated outstanding warrant. The investigation concluded that the motive for the deadly encounter was a robbery over a quantity of marijuana valued at less than $1,000.
