It’s been six months since an 18-year-old from Arnold died after being shot in an alley on Tarentum’s west side.
The case remains open and unsolved, and no arrests have been made, according to Allegheny County Police.
Syncere Lee Spruill was shot shortly before midnight Nov. 22 in the 200 block of Conroy Way. He was pronounced dead at Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison on Nov. 23.
The teen died from a gunshot wound of the trunk and right lower extremity, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office. His death was ruled a homicide.
Allegheny County Police Lt. Venerando Costa recently provided new information regarding what happened leading up to Spruill’s death.
“We believe the shooting stemmed from an argument between two groups,” Costa said. “Individuals from both groups returned gunfire, and in the gunfire exchange the victim was killed.”
An unidentified 19-year-old man who was also shot survived.
Costa said about 15 shots were fired in the exchange.
“We do not have a clear reason what the argument was over,” he said.
The case is still an open investigation.
Having a shooting happen in Tarentum is odd, and having one go unsolved for so long makes it even stranger, borough Council President Scott Dadowski said.
“As a husband and a father, it’s alarming. We consider this to be a safe part of the Valley, a safe place to raise your kids,” he said. “For it to happen in Tarentum, it’s a shock. It’s not something you want to see, no matter who you are.”
Dadowski encouraged anyone with information to come forward, to help keep the community safe and bring some closure for Spruill’s family.
“The victim deserves some justice and his family deserves justice, too,” he said.
