Attorneys selected their second alternate juror Tuesday to hear the upcoming death penalty case against two men charged in connection with the 2016 mass shooting in Wilkinsburg.

Nineteen jurors were interviewed, and 16 were excused or expressed a bias in the case.

The trial against Cheron Shelton, 32, and Robert Thomas, 31, is set to begin Feb. 3. Both men face five counts of homicide, one count of homicide of an unborn child and a dozen other charges related to the March 9, 2016, shooting on Franklin Avenue.

They could face the death penalty if convicted.

Two jurors who had been selected have already been excused, and the jury selection process is still not complete. Thus, the judge presiding over the case decided last week that five alternates will be selected instead of the originally planned four.

The woman selected Tuesday works in online fraud protection.

Each side used a peremptory challenge to strike one juror each. Such challenges allow either side to dismiss a juror without giving a reason. Each side has four peremptory challenges during the alternate selection process.

Alternate jurors hear the case along with the other jurors so they can step in if another juror is excused or dismissed. The alternates so far are the woman picked Tuesday and a man chosen last week.

Prosecuting the case are Deputy District Attorney Kevin Chernosky and Assistant District Attorney Lisa Pellegrini. Shelton, 32, is represented by Wendy Williams and Randall McKinney, and Thomas, 31, is represented by Casey White and Michael Machen.

Testimony in the case is expected to last three weeks.

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)