PITTSBURGH — Two people have been charged in connection with the Friday shooting outside of a funeral on Pittsburgh's North Side.
Shawn Davis, 19, and Hezekiah Nixon, 16, are both charged with multiple counts of aggravated assault and attempted homicide.
Police wrote in the criminal complaint that the two were caught on camera shooting at people outside the Destiny of Faith Church on Brighton Road in Brighton Heights.
The shooting happened as the funeral was taking place for 20-year-old John James Hornezes Jr. Hornezes was shot and killed Oct. 15 in a triple homicide on Cedar Avenue on the North Side. Two women at a nearby bus stop were also killed. Police have said they believe Hornezes was one of at least two shooters involved in that incident.
Six people were wounded in the shooting and melee at the church, including five who were hit by gunfire and one hurt trying to flee. All were in stable condition as of late Friday.
According to the criminal complaint, two men — later identified as Davis and Nixon — were seen on surveillance video walking through the side yard of the church toward the front door. The man identified as Davis was seen on the footage wearing black pants with distinctive boxer shorts showing from underneath. Police noted distinctive shoe laces on the other shooter, alleged to be Nixon.
The footage allegedly shows both firing extended magazines toward a man standing in front of the church. The man fell to the ground near a horse and carriage parked in front of the church, according to the complaint, and one of the shots struck the horse, which began limping down the street.
Police said Davis chased after the man and continued shooting at him. Other people who were outside of the church were seen limping toward the front door, according to the complaint.
Other footage from the area showed the pair taking off toward Viruth Street, and investigators used video from nearby businesses to link Davis and Nixon to a Hyundai Elantra that drove into the area about 12:05 p.m.
Investigators tracked the Hyundai to a home in McKees Rocks, according to the complaint, and officers began surveilling the area. Davis and Nixon eventually came out of the nearby home, got into the Hyundai and drove off, at which point police tried to conduct a traffic stop, according to the complaint.
The pair got stuck in traffic on the McKees Rocks Bridge, which is down to one lane in each direction because of construction. When officers following the car turned on their lights and sirens, the pair tried to run from the car, according to the complaint.
Police said Nixon ran toward the McKees Rocks side of the bridge and threw an extended magazine firearm over the bridge. Davis, too, tried to run, dropping a gun on the road as he did.
Both were handcuffed and taken into custody without further incident.
According to the complaint, the two were still wearing pieces of the distinctive clothing noted on the footage from the shooting scene. Police found more matching clothing during a search of the McKees Rocks home where the men were seen earlier.
The criminal complaint did not offer any insight into a possible motive for the shooting, nor did it indicate any connection between Davis, Nixon and the family inside the church.
In addition to assault and attempted homicide, both men are also charged with multiple firearms violations and cruelty to animals for the injury to the horse. Nixon is also charged with tampering with evidence.
