In the winter of 2017, the life of 19-year-old Anthony Hoots Jr. was cut short in a burst of gunfire within a Swissvale apartment. On the evening of February 6th, police responded to a call at the Forest Apartments on Smokey Wood Drive to find a scene of violence. Hoots, a Black male, and 18-year-old Robert Detorre III were found deceased, both having sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the trunk.
Two other men were also wounded in the exchange.
Investigators pieced together a narrative suggesting the four men had been shooting at each other inside the second-floor apartment. There were no signs of a forced entry, leading police to believe that everyone involved was accounted for within the apartment at the time of the incident. Authorities recovered multiple firearms from the scene, including an AK-47. The motive for the deadly encounter was believed to be a robbery.
In the aftermath, family and friends mourned the loss of a young man they described as a 'jolly, big fellow' who was known for making those around him laugh. A graduate of Woodland Hills High School, Hoots was reportedly working three jobs and taking business classes at the Community College of Allegheny County. Despite his positive portrayal by family, court records indicated a recent charge against him for a road rage incident involving a firearm.
The investigation into the deaths of Anthony Hoots and Robert Detorre III concluded without any charges being filed. The Allegheny County Police determined that the shooting was the result of an exchange of gunfire between the individuals inside the apartment.
