For those that play down the existence of gangs....... (Pittsburgh: crime, houses)

[vwscottie]

As much as I have remarked about the murders that have occured in Homewood over the past year, it's been relatively quiet there for some time. In today's news..........

Perry South Shooting Leaves 12 Year-Old Girl Dead
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ― A 12-year-old girl is dead after more than 40 rounds of ammunition were fired at a house on the North Side.

The shooting happened just after 7:15 p.m. Monday in the 800-block of Brightridge Street in the area known as Perry South.

"It doesn't make any sense. Anytime you have that many rounds fired into a house where there's children and as a result one 12-year-old child is dead tonight," Pittsburgh Police Chief Nate Harper said.

The Allegheny County Medical Examiner has identified the girl as Jolesa Barber.

Her 42-year-old mother was also shot and was last listed in critical condition at Allegheny General Hospital.

"The door was shut. AK-47 rounds penetrated through the door, struck not only a 12-year-old girl, but struck the mother as well. The mother will survive her wounds," Harper said.

Pittsburgh Police say other shootings happened in the same neighborhood earlier in the month.

There was also a disturbance on Brightridge Street earlier last evening.

Harper is asking any witnesses to come forward with information by calling homicide detectives at 412-323-7161.

Callers can remain anonymous.
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That's not something that was done by some low level street dealer. An AK-47 is a serious weapon, and you hear of them being used quite often on the north side of the city. If that's not proof to the naysayers that there is gang activity then I don't know what is.

[vwscottie]

Originally Posted by JenkemUser

There is gang activity everywhere.

I agree with you, but there are a few users on this discussion forum who play down the presence of gangs in Pittsburgh. That crime wasn't commited by a small time player.

[MissShona]

Originally Posted by vwscottie

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That's not something that was done by some low level street dealer. An AK-47 is a serious weapon, and you hear of them being used quite often on the north side of the city. If that's not proof to the naysayers that there is gang activity then I don't know what is.

Jeez, don't you know that AK-47s grow on trees nowadays...

AK-47 Claims The Life Of Another SOFLA Officer

[gallacus]

Originally Posted by JenkemUser

...Where the hell does somebody get a AK-47, and what are they doing in my country?

Thanks to G.W. you can purchase semi-automatic weapons freely now.
USATODAY.com - Federal ban on assault weapons expires

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by vwscottie

As much as I have remarked about the murders that have occured in Homewood over the past year, it's been relatively quiet there for some time. In today's news..........

Perry South Shooting Leaves 12 Year-Old Girl Dead
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ― A 12-year-old girl is dead after more than 40 rounds of ammunition were fired at a house on the North Side.

The shooting happened just after 7:15 p.m. Monday in the 800-block of Brightridge Street in the area known as Perry South.

"It doesn't make any sense. Anytime you have that many rounds fired into a house where there's children and as a result one 12-year-old child is dead tonight," Pittsburgh Police Chief Nate Harper said.

The Allegheny County Medical Examiner has identified the girl as Jolesa Barber.

Her 42-year-old mother was also shot and was last listed in critical condition at Allegheny General Hospital.

"The door was shut. AK-47 rounds penetrated through the door, struck not only a 12-year-old girl, but struck the mother as well. The mother will survive her wounds," Harper said.

Pittsburgh Police say other shootings happened in the same neighborhood earlier in the month.

There was also a disturbance on Brightridge Street earlier last evening.

Harper is asking any witnesses to come forward with information by calling homicide detectives at 412-323-7161.

Callers can remain anonymous.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That's not something that was done by some low level street dealer. An AK-47 is a serious weapon, and you hear of them being used quite often on the north side of the city. If that's not proof to the naysayers that there is gang activity then I don't know what is.

I'll agree with Miss Shona that anyone can get their hands on an AK, and then it's a simple thing to render it an automatic -- apparentaly the instructions for doing so are on the 'net...

But often, when that sort of thing happens here, they need to look closely at the relatives. One of the things our local press does is talk about the innocent lives being lost in our gang mess out here, but one of the small presses dug a little deeper and discovered that, while the ones being killed and maimed are innocent, these things are still retaliations by gangs for transgressions done by their family members.

In other words, Sam and Bill don't hand over all the drug money, and the gang leaders decide they need to pay. Sam and Bill take off, so the gang hits cousin Sally and Aunt Cindy instead, who were never involved in the first place.

[suzeeq521]

Maybe I'm cynical, Tallysmom, but my first thoughts were along those lines. I thought "who else was in that house that might have brought this on the family."

I mean, I don't believe that folks just randomly go up to houses and spray them with bullets. Whoever did it had their own reason for it (despite the fact that the rest of us may see it as a stupid, useless reason, they had their reason). While we can be angry about gangs, we should also be angry at the folks who put their children, nieces & nephews, parents, etc. at risk.

[vwscottie]

Originally Posted by Tallysmom

I'll agree with Miss Shona that anyone can get their hands on an AK

Whatever...........

[guylocke]

Thanks to G.W. you can purchase semi-automatic weapons freely now.

You can thank Republicans for that.

I'll agree with Miss Shona that anyone can get their hands on an AK

Sad but true, I agree, as well.

I don't disagree that there is gang activity in Pittsburgh. It's a place of over 2 million people, gangs are inevitable. However, it still doesn't change the fact that gangs are laughable in Pittsburgh compared to most major cities and even other cities of it's size like Cleveland and Baltimore.

This one stray article certainly doesn't prove that untrue, either.

[bboy36win]

Originally Posted by guylocke

You can thank Republicans for that.

The bad guys will find a way to get guns, regardless of who is in office.

[zip95]

Originally Posted by vwscottie

If that's not proof to the naysayers that there is gang activity then I don't know what is.

Exactly!!! Some one shoot an AK-47....therefore we have unequivical proof of gangs.

That's the most logically air-tight statement I've ever read on these boards....