On a Saturday morning in the Marshall-Shadeland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, 28-year-old Thomas J. Watt was walking with a 29-year-old female companion when their path was crossed by a man they knew. An exchange of words on that morning of October 29, 2016, quickly escalated into a violent confrontation that would end a young man's life. The man, later identified as Abdul Rasheed, produced a black revolver and demanded all of their money.
As Thomas Watt reached into his pocket to comply
with the demand, Rasheed fired his weapon, striking the woman in the leg. In a final act of courage, Watt positioned himself between his wounded friend and the gunman. It was then that Rasheed fired two more shots, striking Watt in the head. The shooter then fled the scene in a waiting vehicle, leaving behind a scene of bloodshed on Woodland Avenue. Both victims were rushed to a nearby hospital, where the woman was treated for her injuries and listed in stable condition. Thomas Watt, however, succumbed to his wounds and was pronounced dead.
The investigation into the shooting moved swiftly. A short time after the incident, police located a white car about two miles away on Venture Street and took Rasheed into custody. The surviving victim later identified Abdul Rasheed, a 34-year-old convicted felon from Rochester, New York, from a police photo array as the man who had shot her and killed Thomas Watt. Rasheed was subsequently charged with a litany of offenses, including criminal homicide, attempted homicide, aggravated assault, robbery, and carrying a firearm without a license. He was held in the Allegheny County Jail without bond.
In May of 2018, Abdul Rasheed pleaded guilty to third-degree murder for the death of Thomas Watt and the wounding of his companion. The following month, a judge sentenced Rasheed to a term of 23 to 46 years in state prison, bringing a close to the legal proceedings in the tragic and senseless death of Thomas Watt.
