On September 19, 2023, 15-year-old Mohamed Hussein was fatally shot in Pittsburgh's Allentown neighborhood. The incident occurred around 10:45 a.m. in the 700 block of Excelsior Street. First responders found Hussein with a gunshot wound to the torso; he was transported to a hospital in critical condition and later succumbed to his injuries.
In the aftermath of the shooting, witnesses reported seeing a suspect fleeing down Excelsior Street toward Allen Street.
This information led detectives to a residence on Allen Street, where two individuals were detained for questioning. Subsequent investigations resulted in the arrest of 17-year-old Diontae Carter. Carter was apprehended without incident by Pittsburgh police and the U.S. Marshals Western Pennsylvania Fugitive Task Force. He faces charges as an adult, including criminal homicide, robbery, carrying a firearm without a license, and possession of a firearm by a minor. Carter is currently held in the Allegheny County Jail.
Further investigation revealed that Mohamed Hussein had been present at the scene of a prior shooting in Braddock on August 27, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of two Woodland Hills High School seniors, 17-year-olds Nazir Parker and Rimel Williamson. Police body camera footage from the Braddock incident allegedly showed Hussein near the crime scene. Additionally, videos recovered from the phone of 16-year-old Jerell Rockymore, who was charged in connection with the Braddock shooting, depicted both Rockymore and Hussein handling multiple handguns. One of these firearms was later recovered at the Braddock crime scene.
The connection between Hussein's death and the earlier Braddock shooting remains under investigation. Authorities have not disclosed a definitive motive for Hussein's killing or confirmed whether it was directly related to the Braddock incident. The sequence of events has raised concerns within the community about youth involvement in violent activities and the potential for retaliatory acts. Community leaders and residents are calling for increased support and intervention to address the underlying issues contributing to such violence.
