In a tragic turn of events stemming from a household dispute, 25-year-old Eddie Kimber, a male Liberian refugee who had come to the United States with his family in 2005 to seek treatment for a heart condition, was shot and killed in his Pittsburgh home on September 16, 2024. The fatal encounter occurred in the South Side Slopes neighborhood, erupting from a disagreement with his roommates over the cleanliness of their shared residence.
The conflict escalated on that Monday afternoon,
culminating in a physical altercation. The argument over dirty dishes and the general state of the house had been a recurring issue. On the day of the shooting, the dispute turned violent. According to police and prosecutors, Kimber's roommate, 23-year-old Destiny Jenkins, first attacked Kimber's brother as he tried to walk upstairs. She then pulled out a handgun and attempted to fire it, but the weapon jammed. Jenkins handed the firearm to her boyfriend, 24-year-old Lee Tyler McGinnis, who was also present. McGinnis then fired the gun, striking Kimber in the back. Emergency crews were called to the Sharon Street home around 4:25 p.m. and transported Kimber to a hospital, where he died shortly after.
Following the shooting, Jenkins and McGinnis fled the scene but were apprehended by police a short time later at a nearby gas station. They were subsequently arrested and charged in connection with Eddie Kimber's death. Jenkins and McGinnis both faced charges of criminal homicide and conspiracy. McGinnis also faced additional charges of aggravated assault and illegal possession of a firearm.
In May 2025, a jury found Destiny Jenkins guilty of third-degree murder, concluding that she set in motion the chain of events that led to the killing, even though she did not fire the fatal shot. She was later sentenced to serve nine to 18 years in prison. Lee McGinnis went to trial in November and was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter. In February 2026, he was sentenced to 10 to 20 years in state prison, the maximum sentence for the charge. During the sentencing, Kimber's family expressed their profound grief, describing him as a kind and beloved brother and uncle whose death left an irreplaceable void in their family.
