July 11--A 17-year-old who police said opened fire on McKeesport officers and also shot a teenager inside a home last week has surrendered to authorities.
Allegheny County police have filed charges including four counts of attempted homicide, aggravated assault and reckless endangerment against Aaron Gardner, of McKeesport, who they said sparked a July 4 shootout at a home on Stewart Street.
Police said he surrendered at county police headquarters this afternoon accompanied by his attorney.
A teenage girl, Alonna Mills, who identified Mr. Gardner as the gunman by looking at a photo from his Facebook page, told police she was home alone just before 1 p.m. when she heard someone breaking in and called 911.
Two men went into the bedroom where she was hiding and put a gun to her head, demanding money, detectives wrote in a complaint against Mr. Gardner.
She told them she didn't know where the money was and pleaded for her life, asking "Are you going to kill me?" as one gunman led her downstairs, according to the complaint.
In the living room, she decided to make a break for the front door and was shot in the arm, police said.
McKeesport officers were outside when the screen door burst open and the bullet pierced its glass.
Officer Ryan Miller raised his gun to return fire as Ms. Mills ran out, saying she had been shot.
Officers James Taylor and Jon Harrison then ran to the back door, where two armed men were running down the steps, police said. Both refused to drop their guns, and one man raised his weapon at Officer Harrison, who fired a shot in the man's direction.
Hearing gunfire, Officer Miller ran behind the house and saw the gunmen running.
One of the men "turned with the firearm in his hand" and Officer Miller fired two shots toward him, according to the criminal complaint.
The officers chased after the gunmen but lost sight of them.
Ms. Mills told police she recognized Mr. Gardner as a classmate at McKeesport Area High School. The criminal complaint suggests police have not identified the second gunman.
Allegheny County police could not immediately be reached for further comment.
Sadie Gurman: [email protected], 412-263-1878 or on Twitter @sgurman.
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