“We will get justice”: Pittsburgh mayor seeks public's help as shooting outside church funeral leaves six injured

On October 28, Friday, a shooting outside Destiny of Faith Church in Pittsburgh's Brighton Heights area left six injured. Authorities reported that over 20 shots were fired in the incident, which is believed to be linked to rampant gang violence in the area.

In an official statement to the community, Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey said:

“I never could have imagined it, that we would shoot up holy ground."

Gainey urged anyone with information on the shooting to step forward and help get justice as she stated:

“If you work with us, if you talk to us, we will get justice, and we will get healing."

The case remains under investigation by Pittsburgh authorities and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

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Two suspects detained in Pittsburgh funeral shooting

A public source reported that the shooting occurred at the funeral of John James Hornezes Jr., who was among three victims fatally gunned down in an October 15 shooting in the city's North Side.

Richard Ford, Commander of the Pittsburgh Police Department, said several shooters began opening fire outside the Church. According to ShotSpotter, a website that tracks gunfire, an initial alert indicated that five shots were fired at the scene. This was subsequently followed by 15 more shots.

Ford said:

"(This) appears to be obviously the result of a targeted shooting."

Ford said the six victims were treated for gunshot wounds, while at least one of them is now in stable condition. The ages and names of the victims have not yet been disclosed.

Ford mentioned that authorities expect potential reprisals toward the shooters who were involved in the incident.

He stated:

“We do feel that there are people out there that will resort to violence through guns, and that is a danger to anybody when that might take place."

Brenda Gregg, the Reverend of Destiny of Faith Church, said that the shooting had left the Hornezes family traumatised.

She said:

“(This) has been one of the most devastating days of my life. (We were) doing a funeral for a young man and being able to work with his family to bring closure to what had happened in their lives, that we had people come to church and fire guns after people.”

She continued:

“As we think about it, I think we’re stronger together, and that we want to continue to have those things that would make sense in the community, and that is we need a place for our children to come."

CNN reported that two suspects have been detained, but their alleged roles in the crime remain undisclosed.