Charges filed against three teens in Ross Park Mall shooting; one to be charged as an adult

One teenager is being charged as an adult in connection with a shooting at Ross Park Mall last month, and two others face juvenile charges, according to Ross police.

Myshawn Scott, 16, of Pittsburgh’s East Hills neighborhood, is charged with aggravated assault, possession of a firearm by a minor and recklessly endangering another person, online court records show, but he is not in custody.

Police on Sept. 30 responded to a shooting near the Dick’s House of Sport and Nordstrom stores at the mall.

Though they did not immediately find a victim at the scene, a teenager with a gunshot wound arrived at Allegheny General Hospital, where he told police he had been walking through the mall’s parking lot with a group of teens when shots were fired in their direction.

According to Ross Township Deputy Police Chief Brian Kohlhepp, there were a number of individuals involved in the incident.

“We’ve been able to identify four of them who were actually involved in the shooting incident,” he said.

Kohlhepp said all the individuals involved were juveniles, three of whom actually fired shots. The fourth, he said, was not seen with or shooting a weapon and will not face any charges.

“Two of them are being charged in juvenile court with juvenile petitions, and one of them, we are pursuing (them) being charged as an adult,” Kohlhepp said.

As of Thursday morning, one juvenile was in custody. Scott and the second juvenile were not.

Kohlhepp said “actions and circumstances surrounding the case” and other “external factors” led to Scott being charged as an adult. While a motive has not been identified, police have been able to determine the juveniles knew each other prior to that incident, Kohlhepp said.

It’s clear to police the shooting stemmed from earlier disputes and arguments that had been going on between the teens, he said.

An injured teen, who police did not identify, admitted to having a handgun and returning fire, according to a criminal complaint against Scott. Kohlhepp said the injured teen is recovering well after the incident.

Video footage from Dick’s showed Scott with a dark semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine, according to the criminal complaint. The video shows muzzle flashes from Scott’s gun.

Two vehicles in the parking lot were struck by gunfire, the complaint said.

Kohlhepp said his department worked with the Pittsburgh Public School’s police during the investigation.

“They’re a great resource for us for identifying people who are involved in their school system,” he said. “We did reach out to them for some assistance, both with that, and to make them aware. As I mentioned, these people got involved in a shooting here based on an altercation and being upset over things that happened earlier. There’s the potential of that also occurring on school properties.”