In a tragic turn of events on April 28, 2025, Nasstylejah Wilkerson, a 28-year-old male, was fatally shot in Washington, Pennsylvania. The incident occurred in the morning, around 11:45 a.m., in the 100 block of West Walnut Street, near John F. Kennedy Catholic Elementary School. Wilkerson had just stepped outside a residence to get his bank card from his car when he was shot multiple times. He was rushed to UPMC Washington Hospital but succumbed to his injuries in the emergency department.
The investigation into the shooting led to the swift identification of suspects. The day after the shooting, an arrest warrant was issued for Trevon Jamar McCrary, 30, of Washington, who was identified as Wilkerson's half-brother. He was charged with criminal homicide and carrying a firearm without a license. Police believe McCrary was the shooter. A witness reported seeing a neighbor's car leaving the scene, which was later found abandoned in a grocery store parking lot. The woman who owned the car had loaned it to McCrary.
A second suspect, William Howell, 24, of Mount Oliver, was arrested in July 2025 and charged with homicide and conspiracy. Investigators believe Howell was the getaway driver. Evidence from Howell's ankle monitor, as he was on parole at the time, placed him at the scene of the crime and where the vehicle was abandoned. Surveillance footage also showed two men exiting the abandoned vehicle.
Both McCrary and Howell were taken into custody in Allegheny County. During a preliminary hearing in September 2025, a witness testified that McCrary had borrowed her SUV on the morning of the shooting and had picked up a man she identified as Howell. About 45 minutes after they dropped her off, she heard gunshots. Both McCrary and Howell were ordered to stand trial on homicide charges. While a motive has not been explicitly stated, it is believed there was a disagreement between the two brothers.
