Jeannette shooting victim describes chaotic scene, gunfire that led to death of young mother

As Cortez McClendon was getting food out of a refrigerator, he felt the gunshots.

He was hit with bullets five times, three of which remain lodged in his body, before falling to the floor of the Jeannette home on June 9, 2023. McClendon testified Friday that he remembered seeing Briana Lartz with a fatal gunshot wound to the face lying on the kitchen floor next to him.

“I was there trying to help her, but, still, I’m going through what I’m going through,” he said.

McClendon, 50, pointed out the man in court Friday who fired the shots at him — Deshawn T. Russell, 27, of Pittsburgh. Homicide, conspiracy and related charges against Russell and Maleek Dionte Green, 27, of Pittsburgh were ordered held for further prosecution Friday by District Judge Joseph DeMarchis after a 2 1/2 hour preliminary hearing.

Four people, including McClendon, were hurt in the shooting at the Lowry Avenue home.

Megan Milliron, 36, who lived in the house, testified that a group of people were meeting up there that evening. She and Lartz worked together to set up a $12,500 cocaine deal between supplier Lamont Thomas, McClendon’s nephew, and Russell, who has a child with Lartz.

The deal appeared to sour and gunshots rang out after Thomas spotted a masked man carrying a gun through the yard toward the house. Milliron testified that Thomas fired the first shot at the man later identified as Green. Both men were hurt. A fourth person was shot in the wrist.

The home devolved into chaos as Russell started shooting as well, McClendon testified.

“It’s (Russell’s) fault why she’s dead,” Milliron said.

The gunfire spilled outside before surveillance video from Neighbors Tavern showed Russell and a third man who has not been identified get into a vehicle and drive away, leaving Green behind, testified Westmoreland County Detective John Mandarino.

Defense attorneys Jaclyn Shaw, who represented Green, and Randall H. McKinney, who represented Russell, argued that the homicide charges should be dropped.

“The Commonwealth presented two witnesses with contradictory testimony,” neither of whom saw Russell shoot Lartz, McKinney argued.

The suspects fired guns in the direction of multiple other people, Assistant District Attorney James Lazar responded.

“The only purpose of shooting at a person at close range is to kill them,” he said.

Lazar suggested Thomas acted in self defense when he shot at Green. Charges were filed in April against Green and Russell. Both are being held without bond.

Lartz, a 25-year-old mother of two, lived in Jeannette and was a graduate of Greater Latrobe School District. Russell is serving a 5- to 10-year sentence at a state prison on a weapons violation from an unrelated 2022 shooting outside Sail’s Inn in Uniontown, according to court records.