2 dead, 7 injured after shooting at a bar in suburban Pittsburgh

A shooting at a bar in suburban Pittsburgh has left two people dead and seven others injured, police said Sunday.

Allegheny County Police Department’s homicide unit said it has responded to a request for help by Penn Hills Police Department after the early morning shooting at the Ballers Hookah Lounge and Cigar Bar in Penn Hills. First responders discovered the bodies of an adult male and adult female inside the bar around 3 a.m. Sunday. Seven additional victims were found. Some were transported from the scene and additional victims walked in to area hospitals, Allegheny County police said in a statement on social media.

One of the victims is in critical condition. The remaining victims all had injuries that were not life-threatening, the statement said.

Preliminary information shows “an altercation took place inside the bar and multiple individuals opened fire,” county police said.

The statement did not say whether any suspects were in custody.

Anyone with information concerning this incident is asked to call the County Police Tip Line 1-833-ALL-TIPS. Callers can remain anonymous.

Ivan Bates makes bold prediction on Baltimore’s drop in homicides

Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates made a bold prediction, suggesting the city’s homicide rate could drop below 200 this year.

Bates spoke at a budget hearing Thursday morning before the Baltimore City Council Ways and Means Committee, citing some encouraging numbers showing declines in violent crime and increases in prosecutions. Bates said the current pacing for homicide in 2024 is 181.

“One is too many, but to see now that the hard work is starting to pay off,” Bates said.

The last time Baltimore City recorded less than 200 homicides was in 2011. Bates credited partnerships, innovative violence reduction strategies and his office’s “get tough” approach to crime.

“We are the enforcers. We are the accountability. We are saying clearly, ‘If you are going to be a felon and you are carrying an illegal handgun,’ I said, ‘bring a toothbrush.’ That is not something I just said. It is something that we meant,” Bates said.

Bates supported his bold prediction with stats, saying from 2022 to 2023, his office took 390 violent offenders off the street, there were fewer repeat offenders because first-time offenders were sentenced to jail time, homicide convictions increased by 38%, and the transfer of firearm cases to federal officials increased by 26%.

Source: WBAL

Holes punched into memorial to Key Bridge collapse victims

The memorial to the victims who died in the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge was vandalized.

The artist behind the memorial on Fort Armistead Road told 11 News that five of the seven panels of the mural had large holes punched in them Friday night. The memorial’s creators are not sure how many people were involved, but a report with police has been filed.

Source: WBAL

City police say a fetus was found on a MTA bus on Saturday afternoon

Baltimore City police and MTA police responded to a report of a fetus found on a MTA bus on Saturday afternoon.

City police say they responded to the 2500 block of Kirk Avenue on Saturday for the report of a MTA bus driver saying a fetus had been found on the seat of the bus.

Officials say that no further information is available at this time.