On April 19, 2014, Edward Deakings, aged 24, was fatally shot in Pittsburgh's Chartiers City neighborhood. The incident took place at a park near Chartiers Elementary School, where about 100 people had gathered for a memorial for a young man killed the previous year in Sheraden. The shooting reportedly started after an argument broke out during the event. A second individual was also injured in the incident, suffering a gunshot wound to the hand.
The police have yet to identify the shooter, and the chaos of people fleeing after the shots inhibited further investigation. The area is usually known as a safe community, but the sudden violence left many residents, including children, traumatized. Authorities planned to increase patrols in response to the recent spike in violent incidents in the West End neighborhoods of Pittsburgh.
