South Side shooter used stolen gun, victim returned fire, police say

One of two men critically injured in a shooting last weekend along busy East Carson Street instigated the incident, according to police, prompting one of the victims to return fire.

Christopher Young, 27, used a stolen gun when he opened fire, police said. He is charged with attempted homicide in connection with the early Sunday shooting.

The shooting happened near the intersection of 15^th Street and East Carson around 2:30 a.m. – just half an hour after bars in the entertainment district began closing down.

An off-duty Pittsburgh police officer was working a secondary detail in the area when he heard shots, according to the criminal complaint against Young. The officer later said he could see the gunfight but, because of the massive crowds, he couldn’t safely return fire.

More officers arrived and found two gunshot victims – Young and another man referred to in the complaint as Victim 1. A second man, called Victim 2 in the complaint, had dragged Victim 1 to safety.

Victim 2 told investigators that he and Victim 1 had been walking on East Carson Street when they passed by a man they didn’t know — later identified as Young — who said something to Victim 1, according to the complaint. From there, he said, he saw Young pointing a blue laser at Victim 1 and realized it was a laser for a gun.

He said Young began shooting, at which point he pulled out his gun and began to return fire, hitting Young several times, according to the complaint. After the shooting stopped, he ran down the street to secure his weapons so he wouldn’t be armed when officers arrived. Police said Victim 2 had a valid concealed carry permit.

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Investigators said surveillance footage from the area show a similar scene. The victims cross East Carson onto South 15^th Street when they pass Young, who police said begins to stare at Victim 1, according to the complaint. Police said the footage shows the blue laser and muzzle flashes as Young starts shooting at Victim 1’s back.

The gun Young used was determined to have been stolen from Penn Hills on May 7, police said.

Investigators said they believe Young was the aggressor in the incident. He also did not have a valid concealed carry permit, police said.

Young is in police custody pending medical clearance, according to Pittsburgh Public Safety spokeswoman Cara Cruz. At that point, he will be taken to the Allegheny County Jail.

In addition to attempted homicide, Young is charged with two counts of aggravated assault, receiving stolen property and carrying a firearm without a license.

Court records did not list an attorney for Young as of Friday morning.