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Students return to class after body found in elementary school's parking lot

PITTSBURGH — Students at a Pittsburgh elementary school return to class Thursday after a man was found shot to death in the school’s parking lot.

Homicide detectives said the body of 20-year-old Jordan Kearney was discovered hours after his death.

Authorities said the Kearney was shot and killed Tuesday around 11 p.m. but wasn't found until students were dismissed from Sunnyside Elementary School Wednesday.  Officers weren't called to the parking lot until 2:30 p.m. when someone walking through the parking lot saw a car window shot out.

The school is located on Stanton Avenue in Pittsburgh.

Police said that upon the discovery of the body, all students were brought back into the building, and the school was placed on lockdown. 

Once parents were reunited with their children, some said they couldn’t believe no one found the shooting victim sooner.

“Somebody should have found the body by then, you got people coming up to the school like janitors at 4, 5, 6 in the morning. They should be checking cars in the parking lot,” said parent Bill Barber.

Neighbors, who told Channel 11 News that the victim lived across the street from the school and always parked in the lot, also couldn’t understand how no one came across the body for more than 15 hours.

"I have three properties in the city of Pittsburgh and I pay school taxes,” said one neighbor. “This is ridiculous when they can't even monitor their own property. I mean, it takes a second to go around and check vehicles that are unmarked."

Councilwoman Deborah Gross issued the following statement:

"I am saddened to hear of the shooting-related death today in Stanton Heights near Sunnyside Elementary School. My thoughts are with both the victim's family and students and parents of Sunnyside Elementary. I have been in direct contact with officials from our public safety department, and am grateful to them for their work to ensure the safety of Sunnyside students."

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