Police: 68-year-old woman shot while sitting on her porch in McKeesport

MCKEESPORT, Pa. — An innocent woman was wounded when a barrage of bullets hit her front porch, one of them hitting her in the arm. While she is expected to survive, neighbors said they’ve had enough.

“This is not a safe neighborhood. Nothing is safe, but this is the worst,” said Jamie McCraken of McKeesport.

The sound of gunshots has become the norm for those who live in and around the 11 block of Craig Street in McKeesport, and Sunday afternoon was no different. Allegheny County police said that around 5:30 p.m., a 68-year-old woman was shot in the arm while sitting on her front porch. Investigators found 30 shell casings, both rifle and handgun, with bullets having hit two houses and three vehicles.

Then, around 3 a.m. Monday, there was even more gunfire, as at least 15 more rounds were fired, according to McKeesport police. This was the latest round of violence in a neighborhood that many children call home.

“Every time you hear something go off, you’re not sure if it’s gunshots or if it’s fireworks, so for my kids to question that and have to duck under the windows, to make sure nothing bad is going to happen to them, it’s kind of frustrating and does break your heart,” McCracken said.

Several neighbors who didn’t want to talk on camera said they’re too scared to go outside, even to walk their dogs in broad daylight. Channel 11 spoke with McKeesport’s police chief, who was not available for an interview but told us the city is stepping up patrols in the area, including an increase in undercover officers, and plans to install more surveillance cameras. Police said they’ve been monitoring the uptick of violence in this neighborhood for months and are working with county police, but neighbors tell us it’s too little too late.

“I won’t let my kids play outside. We have probably the biggest yard here and they don’t go outside. I have to keep my kids safe, so moving is probably No. 1,” McCracken said.

As of Monday night, no one had been arrested in connection with the shootings, according to Allegheny County police.

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