In the late hours of a June night in Pittsburgh, a journey from Lorain, Ohio, ended in tragedy for Christopher Kovach, a 35-year-old Black man. On June 21, 2025, Kovach drove into the Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar neighborhood for what investigators believe was a prearranged drug deal. He had traveled to Pittsburgh with a handgun, telling a witness that the deal 'might go sideways' and he needed protection.
Shortly before 1:30 a.m., police responded to reports of gunfire and cars fleeing the
7000 block of Churchland Street. Officers discovered Kovach in the driver's seat of his vehicle, bloody and groaning from a gunshot wound to the head. In his lap was a duffle bag containing seven pounds of marijuana. First responders rushed him to a local hospital in critical condition, but he succumbed to his injuries the following day, June 22, 2025.
The investigation into Christopher Kovach's death led police to a suspect through fingerprint evidence lifted from Kovach's Dodge Durango. In July 2025, authorities arrested Daevone Brown, a 30-year-old from McKeesport, and charged him with homicide and attempted homicide in connection with the shooting. Investigators believe at least two assailants targeted Kovach. A witness who was with Kovach told police that two individuals entered the backseat of their vehicle. The witness then heard Kovach scream their name, followed by the sound of gunfire. Crime scene analysts determined that at least three different guns were fired during the incident. Brown was taken to the Allegheny County Jail and was denied bail.
