11 Investigates: Boyfriend of mayor’s executive assistant accused in Downtown Pittsburgh shooting

PITTSBURGH — Chief Investigator Rick Earle received a tip early Thursday morning that a vehicle belonging to the mayor’s executive assistant was used in a shooting in Downtown Pittsburgh earlier this week.

Pittsburgh police arrested Ray Rivera and charged him with attempted homicide in the shooting of a man downtown near Smithfield Street Tuesday afternoon.

After reaching out to a police spokesperson Thursday morning, Mayor Ed Gainey’s chief of staff, Jake Wheatley, sent out a news release, confirming the connection between Rivera and the woman who works for the mayor.

Wheatley did not identify the woman who works in the mayor’s office, but said she’s employed by the city as the mayor’s executive assistant.

“Yesterday the Office of the Mayor was notified that an individual in a relationship with the Executive Assistant for Mayor Ed Gainey had been arrested for a shooting that occurred in Downtown on July 16. She had no knowledge of the incident, is not considered to be a person of interest, is fully cooperating with the investigation and will not receive any information or details about it. At this time, due to the active and ongoing investigation, we will have no further comments on the matter,” Wheatley said in the emailed statement.

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According to the criminal complaint obtained by 11 Investigates, the car Rivera was driving is registered in the name of Gainey’s executive assistant.

That shooting allegedly involving her boyfriend happened Tuesday afternoon near busy Smithfield Street. It’s an area where there have also been several random assaults and robberies.

Police have said they plan to increase patrols because of the recent uptick in crime.

“We don’t believe there’s anybody at large endangering any of our citizens Downtown. It seems like a very isolated incident directed at the person that has been shot,” said Pittsburgh Police Chief Larry Scirotto.

According to the criminal complaint, Rivera told police he was stopped Downtown talking to a friend, when a stranger came up and began harassing him.

Rivera drove away but said the man followed.

He said the man then pulled up next to him, and said, “Whatchu (sic) gonna do?

Rivera, in the court documents, said the man then threw something at him and started to reach for something.

Rivera told police he was in fear, pulled the gun and fired two shots.

The victim was hit in the left forearm. He was conscious and alert when police arrived and was able to give police a description of the shooter and the shooter’s car.

According to the criminal complaint, Rivera told officers, “he chased the fight. "

Because of prior multiple felony drug convictions, Rivera is not allowed to have a firearm.

It’s unclear how Rivera got that gun and who it belongs to.

The Mayor’s Office declined to answer those questions.

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