Pair held for court in shooting of 1-year-old boy in Spring Hill

Two men charged with criminal homicide in connection with the shooting death of a 1-year-old who was killed by a stray bullet in Spring Hill this summer will face trial.

Andre Crawford, 29, of McKeesport, and Marvin Hill, 41, had a preliminary hearing Friday before Magistrate Judge David J. Barton.

Following a four-hour hearing, they were held on all counts, including homicide, attempted homicide and gun charges.

According to investigators, 1-year-old Zykier Young was lying down with his mother in the bedroom of their Rhine Place apartment about 6 p.m. on Aug. 24, when gunfire broke out outside.

Zykier’s mom looked out the window and didn’t see anything, police said, but a short time later, there were more gunshots, and debris flew through the bedroom. Zykier had been shot in the head.

Police said that there was a shootout among three men: Crawford, Hill and another, Devon Thompson.

According to investigators, 911 callers described it as a “gun war.”

The shootout was captured in video surveillance at various angles by cameras throughout the housing complex.

Deputy District Attorney Ilan Zur said that in the beginning of the incident, Hill could be seen on video carrying a long gun. He was initially shot in the leg when Thompson fired at him, Zur said. Hill retreated inside a building and returned five minutes later, firing seven shots across the complex at Crawford, police said.

Crawford returned fire. It was one of Crawford’s six shots, Zur said, that struck Zykier.

Zur showed video Friday that showed Crawford behind a door, raising a gun and firing.

Zur argued to the court that, but for Hills’ initial conduct in firing, the baby would not have died.

“It was the foreseeable consequence of his actions,” the prosecutor said, noting there were many people out on that warm, summer day in the housing complex.

Defense attorney Jimmy Sheets, who represented Hill, said his client cannot be seen in any of the video surveillance shooting. Instead, he claims Hill is a victim.

“Loss of life at any age is tragic. The fact that it was a 1-year-old, in my opinion, adds to the tragedy,” he said. “But with all due respect, I feel as though the commonwealth fell woefully short of their burden even at a prima facie level.”

Zur played a 911 call, though, in which the caller identified a man named “Smoke,” who police said is Hill, as the first person to start shooting.

Earlier this week, the homicide charge against Thompson was withdrawn by the prosecution, they said, because of a lack of physical evidence.

He is still charged with attempted homicide, aggravated assault and a gun charge. He waived his preliminary hearing.