Teen charged in North Braddock shooting of friend turns himself in

A West Mifflin teen wanted in connection with the shooting of his friend during “horseplay” at a North Braddock apartment earlier this week turned himself in to police Thursday, authorities said.

Damond Thomas, 16, was wanted on charges of aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and firearms violations, according to Allegheny County police. He turned himself in and was taken to the Allegheny County Jail.

Police said Thomas was in an apartment at the General Braddock Towers about 8:30 p.m. Monday with several others, including a 16-year-old girl. Thomas was taunting the girl with a black pistol he’d pulled from the waistband of his pants, according to the criminal complaint, even as the girl asked him to stop.

Thomas waved the gun in the girl’s face, at which point it went off, police said. She was shot in the cheek and taken to this hospital in stable condition.

Investigators said Thomas ran from the apartment.

The girl had been hanging out with her cousin in the apartment, which belonged to a relative, police said. The cousin told police that Thomas at one point pressed the pistol to his or her face. The witness thought Thomas “might be joking around” but was very scared nonetheless, police said.

The victim and her cousin went so far as to lock themselves in the bathroom to get away from Thomas and the gun, according to the complaint. The cousin had moved to the living room to talk with the other two, leaving the victim alone with Thomas, police said. They heard a gunshot and turned to see the victim bleeding from the face.