NEW KENSINGTON, Pa. — One man is in the hospital, another is in police custody after a fight turned into a shooting just after 12:30 p.m. Monday at the Valley Royal Court apartments.
Those apartments are right across the street from the New Kensington Police Department and City Hall.
“It happened so fast. It was six, seven shots fired, and the person ran,” said Michael “Prince” Shapiro, who lives nearby and witnessed the shooting.
Shapiro said a man he believes is only 17 or 18 years old was yelling in front of the apartments.
“Yelling, antagonizing, yelling, popping his guns out, had two guns. He’s 18 years old, somebody tell me why an 18-year-old has a gun, yet two guns,” Shapiro said.
He said an adult man came out of the apartments to talk to him, and was then shot.
“He came to the teenager trying to talk, not aggressively, not angrily, not mad, and that’s when the teenager shot the gun as he was walking away,” Shapiro said. “It was the chest first as he was turning and then multiple shots after that as he was turned around walking off.”
The Westmoreland County Community College campus in New Kensington, the Valley School District, and city hall were put on a brief lockdown.
“I immediately called, told the girls to lock city hall down because we really didn’t know where the shooter was,” said City Clerk John Zavadak.
The shooter apparently barricaded himself inside the apartment.
“He was barricaded in there,” Zavadak said. “Evidently, he must’ve been able to have been talked down because there were no police involved shooting or anything. There were no shots fired.”
Witnesses who spoke with Channel 11’s Andrew Havranek said they’re frustrated by the violence.
“I need the message to be known,” Shapiro said. “You’ve got to watch your kids and make sure you kids are policed at all times. It’s the kids starting the problems, not the adults.”
We are still waiting to learn about the victim’s condition. Right now, charges have not yet been filed.
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