In the early hours of Sunday, January 18, 2026, the quiet of an Ambridge, Pennsylvania neighborhood was shattered by the sound of multiple gunshots emanating from a home on Locust Street. Responding to the reports at approximately 2:30 a.m., police discovered a tragic scene inside the residence. Thirty-eight-year-old Ashley Anne Delucca and fifty-four-year-old Andre Littles of Pittsburgh were found deceased, both having suffered multiple gunshot wounds. Two teenagers, relatives of the victims, were also present in the home at the time of the shooting but were found unharmed and were safely relocated with family.
The investigation quickly identified a suspect, thirty-nine-year-old Howard James Thomas Jr., who resided at the same Locust Street address as Delucca. It is believed that an argument preceded the fatal shootings. An 11-year-old boy who was in the house told police he heard gunfire upstairs. A 15-year-old girl in the residence called a sibling to report that shots had been fired. The children reported hearing arguments between Delucca, Littles, Thomas, and another individual for several hours while they were in the basement. Following the shooting, Thomas allegedly fired shots at a neighbor's house as the neighbor was going back inside.
Following the issuance of a BOLO for Thomas and his vehicle, he was apprehended by the Ohio State Highway Patrol around 8:37 a.m. the same day. His capture came after he was involved in a car crash in Zanesville, Ohio. Thomas was hospitalized for injuries sustained in the crash and taken into custody on an arrest warrant for two counts of homicide.
Subsequent investigation by law enforcement revealed that Delucca had arranged for an Uber to bring Littles and the children to the house. Investigators also discovered three untraceable "ghost guns" inside the home. Howard James Thomas Jr. faces a dozen felony offenses, including two counts of criminal homicide, aggravated assault, prohibited possession of a firearm, and other related charges.
