Man charged with attempted homicide in East McKeesport shooting

An East McKeesport man is charged with attempted homicide in a Tuesday afternoon shooting in that borough that left another man in critical condition.

Police took Timere Johnson, 21, into custody at a relative’s home after he told a Monroeville police dispatcher he wanted to turn himself in and claimed the shooting was in self-defense.

Allegheny County Police detectives said a witness indicated the shooting occurred while the suspect was complaining to the victim — identified by investigators as Eric Hogan — about noise when Hogan parked his car outside an East McKeesport apartment building where the witness and the suspect both live.

First responders who were called to the scene at about 4:45 p.m. Tuesday found Hogan with a gunshot wound to his abdomen. Hogan was listed in critical condition and was taken to Forbes Hospital in Monroeville for surgery, police said.

According to a criminal complaint filed by police, the witness told investigators noise made when Hogan locked his car was an apparent issue because the vehicle was parked near the suspect’s window.

The witness was said to be nearby holding a child outside the apartment building when the suspect pulled a gun and shot, striking Hogan, according to the account related by police. The witness said the suspect fired at least once more, according to the complaint.

The witness identified Johnson as the suspect when shown an image of him, police said.

Police said they recovered a 9mm pistol at the residence where Johnson was taken into custody. Police also recovered a spent 9 mm casing from the shooting scene.

Johnson additionally is charged with aggravated assault and recklessly endangering another person. He was awaiting a preliminary hearing.

Online court documents don’t list an attorney representing Johnson.