Four children were inside a Pittsburgh apartment when two adults were shot and killed in what police are investigating as a possible murder-suicide.
Pittsburgh Police rushed to an apartment on Hazlett Street in the city’s Northview Heights neighborhood at about 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 12, after a ShotSpotter alert detected two rounds of gunfire.
When officers arrived, they found a man and woman suffering from gunshot wounds. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.
The Allegheny County Office of the Medical Examiner later identified the pair as Mark Allen Jones, 24, and Shaelynn Maria Moore, 30.
Making the scene even more disturbing, four children — ages 11, 9, 7 and 7 — were also inside the apartment at the time.
None of the children were physically injured.
Police believe the children are Moore’s. They were taken to a children’s hospital as a precaution and are expected to undergo forensic interviews as investigators try to determine exactly what happened.
Authorities have not yet publicly confirmed the nature of the relationship between Jones and Moore.
Jones reportedly lived in Northview Heights, while Moore was listed as living in Brighton Heights, roughly three miles away. However, records reviewed by the Tribune-Review reportedly showed Moore had previously listed a Hazlett Street property as her address in paperwork connected to a tenant appeal.
Police are now investigating whether the shooting was a murder-suicide.
Emily Bourne of the Pittsburgh Public Safety Department told CBS News that witnesses reported hearing or seeing what appeared to be a “domestic altercation” before the gunfire.
Bourne also reportedly referred to the two deceased people as a “shooter” and a “victim” while speaking with the Tribune-Review, though authorities have not released additional details identifying who they believe fired the shots.
“What that level of specificity is in terms of the relationship between the two is still unclear,” Bourne told CBS News.
Police stressed that they are not searching for any additional suspects and do not believe there is an ongoing threat to the public.
Investigators also reportedly found shell casings outside the building, raising the possibility that the shooting began outdoors before continuing inside the apartment.
Exactly what sparked the deadly confrontation remains under investigation as detectives work to piece together the final moments before the shooting.
