Morning Roundup: Pittsburgh police issue latest Downtown crime report; 'Suspicious' fire probed in McKeesport

Here are some of the latest news items happening this morning, Wednesday, Aug. 6:

Pittsburgh police report latest Downtown crime numbers

Over the past week, Police in Downtown Pittsburgh made 31 arrests and wrote 16 nontraffic tickets, according to statistics released from the agency.

Five parking tickets were issued between July 28 and Monday.

The Downtown Public Safety Center High-Visibility Patrol started in July 2024 in response to an uptick in crime and disorderly activity in the central business district, police said. Authorities regularly release statistics about the enforcement.

The Trib recently looked into safety Downtown as headline-grabbing incidents affect perception and what police are doing in an effort to counteract it. Workers expressed concern last week after two people were injured in a shooting along Penn Avenue in the Cultural District.

Officials investigating ‘suspicious’ fire in McKeesport

The cause of a fire Tuesday evening at a vacant home in McKeesport appears suspicious to officials, Trib news partner WTAE reported.

Flames were extinguished quickly at a home on Walnut Street around 7 p.m.

Fire officials told WTAE the fire appears to be “suspicious in nature” and they are investigating the cause.

Gunshot victim shows at hospital following Penn Hills incident

Police in Penn Hills spent about five hours Tuesday evening investigating a reported incident on Lincoln Avenue, Trib news partner WTAE reported.

Officers were called to a home there around 8 p.m. A neighbor told the news outlet that before police arrived she heard screaming and saw someone running in the street wearing a ski mask.

Shortly after police got to the scene, a gunshot victim reportedly showed up at UPMC Shadyside.

Officers were on Lincoln Avenue until about 12:45 a.m. Wednesday, WTAE reported. No information had been released by police.