Isaiah Coleman, a 19-year-old Black male from Wilmerding, Pennsylvania, was killed late on March 25, 2015, after what began as a gathering outside a home on Airbrake Avenue turned deadly. Police and emergency responders were called to the 600 block of Airbrake Avenue shortly after 10 p.m., where Coleman was found with a single gunshot wound to the chest.
He was pronounced dead at the scene, and the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled his death a homicide.
The shooting unfolded outside a residence where Coleman had been with others, including Chaz White and DeShawn Hollinger. According to police accounts and criminal complaint details reported afterward, White and Hollinger had arrived at the home earlier that evening, both carrying concealed firearms. Coleman later came to the porch area, where the group was initially described as laughing and joking. At some point, Coleman and White began talking, and that moment turned into an argument. A single gunshot rang out, striking Coleman in the chest.
In the immediate aftermath, witnesses reported seeing two young men run from the scene. Hollinger later told investigators that after the shot, he saw Coleman lying on the ground and then ran from the porch area. He said he encountered White near a hill toward Middle Avenue, where White allegedly told him to give him his gun. Hollinger told detectives the two revolvers were hidden behind another home on Airbrake Avenue. Investigators later recovered the guns under a flat cardboard box near the area where Coleman had been found.
Police arrested Chaz White, 19, in connection with Coleman’s killing. White was charged with criminal homicide, carrying a firearm without a license, and tampering with physical evidence. DeShawn Hollinger, also 19, was arrested as well, but authorities said he was not charged with the shooting itself. Hollinger faced charges tied to carrying a firearm without a license and tampering with evidence, with police saying he admitted helping hide the weapon after the shooting.
The case later moved into court, where White faced prosecution for Coleman’s death. Reports from the proceedings said Coleman and White had been close friends for years, adding another layer of grief and anger for Coleman’s family. Prosecutors described Coleman as bleeding to death from a gunshot wound that pierced his heart. White ultimately pleaded guilty to third-degree murder, carrying a firearm without a license, and tampering with evidence.
At sentencing in November 2015, Coleman’s family and loved ones spoke about the impact of his death and expressed outrage over the outcome. White was sentenced to five to ten years in prison and ordered to pay a fine of a little more than $6,500. The sentence caused an emotional reaction in the courtroom, with family members upset that the punishment was far lighter than what they believed Coleman’s life deserved. White’s attorney said White had no prior convictions, accepted responsibility, and was remorseful, but Coleman’s family openly disputed that claim, saying his actions after the shooting showed otherwise.
