A gunshot shattered the relative calm of downtown Pittsburgh just after 4 p.m., prompting an immediate response from local law enforcement. According to a statement from the Pittsburgh Police Department, an officer from the Downtown Public Safety Center, who happened to be on patrol, was drawn to the scene in the 400 block of Smithfield Street by the sound of the incident. Upon arrival, the officer identified a male suspect with a firearm, who promptly put down his weapon and was detained.
After the shooting, a man with a gunshot wound to the abdomen ran down Smithfield Street and onto Forbes Avenue, trying to find safety. Police officers from Pittsburgh and the Port Authority quickly arrived to help him on the sidewalk, where he collapsed. He was treated there until paramedics arrived to take him to the hospital, where he was listed in critical but stable condition.
Detectives from the Mobile Crime Unit began collecting evidence, while the Violent Crime Unit quickly started reviewing videos to understand what happened before, during, and after the gunshot.
The investigation is progressing carefully. Detectives are asking the community for help and urging anyone with information to call Pittsburgh Police at (412) 323-7800.
