Guns found after carjacking lead to charges in East Liberty mass shooting

Clues from a teenager’s June arrest in an armed carjacking case have led Pittsburgh police to charge him in connection with a mass shooting in East Liberty days earlier.

Aaron Reddix, 16, of McKees Rocks was charged Friday with four counts of attempted homicide stemming from the shooting just before midnight on June 22 at Garland Park. He is also accused of aggravated assault, conspiring to commit homicide and carrying a firearm without a license.

Police said five victims were hospitalized with gunshot wounds, and four agreed to be interviewed as part of the investigation. Because it was dark when gunfire broke out at the park, police said, victims were unable to see or identify the shooter.

Another 10 people were treated on scene for graze wounds or minor injuries from falls.

Reddix was one of five teens arrested June 27 for carjacking a woman and leading police on a chase that ended in the West End. Police recovered three guns.

Investigators said they matched some of the more than 50 shell casings at the shooting scene to two of the guns from the carjacking.

This suggested at least one of the carjacking suspects was involved in the shooting, according to a criminal complaint.

It was not clear in court records, however, how police determined Reddix pulled the trigger at any point.

Police said they obtained a search warrant for an iPhone taken from Reddix after the carjacking.

The phone contained pictures taken at a Hill District apartment complex about an hour after the shooting that, according to police, showed two pistols found in the West End chase.

It also had photos of people wearing some of the same clothing as the five people seen on video surveillance exiting a sedan near Garland Park right before the shooting, police said.

In addition, location data from the phone allegedly matched the movements of the vehicle associated with shooting, which traveled from a GetGo in South Side to East Liberty around that time.

Reddix did not have an attorney listed in court documents. He awaits a preliminary hearing.

Kyree McCray, 18, of Pittsburgh was charged the day after the shooting with a combined six felony and misdemeanor counts, though none related to firing a gun.

Three of the charges were dropped, but he remains accused of carrying a firearm without a license, a felony, as well as the misdemeanors of evidence tampering and fleeing arrest.

McCray is being held in the Allegheny County Jail without bail while awaiting trial.