Pittsburgh man found guilty of 3rd-degree murder of man in Arnold

A Westmoreland County jury spared a Pittsburgh man from a mandatory life sentence Thursday by acquitting him of first-degree murder in a 2019 fatal shooting in Arnold.

Jurors found Shawden L. Ross, 35, guilty of third-degree murder in the killing of Lamont Simmons, 27, of Arnold on April 5, 2019, in an alley.

The panel deliberated for about 2½ hours. Defense attorney Brian Aston said Ross pleaded guilty to a weapons violation after the verdict.

“We’re disappointed in the verdict, but we understand how the jurors reached their conclusion,” he said.

Earlier Thursday, attorneys made their closing arguments to the group. Prosecutors had been seeking a first-degree murder conviction.

Investigators said the killing came after a dispute between Ross and Simmons, who hours earlier arrived together at a party at a Fourth Avenue home. Jurors were shown video evidence of Ross, Simmons and Resaun Kennedy, 35, of McKees Rocks walking down the street and into an alley.

A still image from the video shows Ross pointing a gun at Simmons’ head moments before the fatal shooting.

Aston pointed to Kennedy as a potential suspect in the shooting. Kennedy testified earlier this week that he was less than 5 feet away when Ross fired multiple shots at Simmons.

Simmons was shot three times in the back and side.

Aston argued that Kennedy “talked his way out of” potentially being charged in the case and cooperated with police.

“Isn’t it just as likely that Kennedy’s the guy that pulled the trigger?” Aston told jurors. “And yet, he’s not charged; he’s got a free pass because he told them what they wanted to hear.”

“He’s the only guy who said Shawden Ross pulled the trigger,” Aston said.

Assistant District Attorney Pete Caravello argued that Ross pointed the gun at Simmons’ head seconds before he was shot and feet away from where Simmons died. Caravello dismissed Aston’s contention that Kennedy could have been the shooter, arguing that Ross would not have turned the gun over to Kennedy in those few seconds.

“Did he seem to be tiptoeing around a murder that he committed in this case?” Caravello asked jurors, encouraging them to evaluate Kennedy’s testimony.

Kennedy testified that, after the shooting, he and Ross ran back to the party. He told jurors that he was drunk and high at the time. He was not charged in connection with the shooting.

Investigators said they found what they believed to be the murder weapon inside the home where the party took place. An expert testified Thursday that a bullet in evidence was fired from the revolver that police confiscated.

Testimony began Tuesday and wrapped up Thursday morning. Jurors saw a few surveillance videos and dozens of photographs of evidence.

The defense did not present any witnesses and Ross declined to testify.