In the late hours of a Thursday in downtown Pittsburgh, the life of 23-year-old Lonnie Block Latham III came to a violent end. On August 31, 2023, at approximately 10:30 p.m., gunfire erupted in the area of Smithfield Street and Strawberry Way, leaving Latham with a fatal gunshot wound to the chest. Two other individuals, a man and a woman, were also wounded in the incident but were reported to be in stable condition.
The scene was one of chaos as witnesses described two men arguing
before the shots were fired. An officer stationed at nearby Mellon Square Park heard the gunshots and rushed to the scene to find Latham and the female victim. The officer administered CPR to Latham until paramedics arrived and transported him to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The second male victim was found nearby with a gunshot wound to his foot.
Surveillance footage of the incident captured a skirmish and a fight that preceded the shooting. The video reportedly shows a gun being drawn and shots being fired, causing Latham to fall to the ground. In a startling turn, another man is seen picking up what was believed to be Latham's gun and firing more shots. In the immediate aftermath, police took two men in for questioning, though no charges were immediately filed, and the investigation was described as ongoing.
In the days following the shooting, it was revealed that Lonnie Latham III had his own recent history with the law. He had been arrested in April of that year on charges of selling crack and was out on bail at the time of his death. Despite the initial questioning of two individuals and the existence of video evidence, public information regarding any subsequent arrests, formal charges, or convictions in the homicide of Lonnie Block Latham III has not been made available. The narrative of that late summer evening on Smithfield Street remains one of unresolved violence.
