PITTSBURGH — Police have arrested a man they say shot and killed an 18-year-old in Pittsburgh’s Hill District.
18-year-old Shaun Scott was arrested after police say he admitted to being involved in the homicide of Maleek Thomas.
Thomas was shot on June 24 and died in the hospital shortly after he was found by police.
According to court documents, officers were investigating Scott for different cases, including an attempted carjacking and were able to match his description to surveillance footage of the shooting.
Police said they originally arrested Scott for a separate warrant. Officers said that Scott had a black fanny pack on during the time of the arrest that matched a bag observed on surveillance footage of the moments leading up to the shooting an after. Police found a 9 mm handgun in the bag.
Officers also observed a video on Scott’s Facebook page where he was wearing a shirt and shoes that matched the clothing worn by the suspect during the time of the shooting. Scott was also wearing a rolled up “shiesty” ski mask during the video, which matched the type of ski mask that was worn by the shooter.
During an interview, police said that Scott admitted to being present at the shooting. They say he told them that he was throwing rocks and sticks at the second floor window of 2437 Chauncey because he was trying to get into the building but the music inside was too loud. Police said that Scott said that Maleek Thomas and another man were in a courtyard across the street and that he kept looking at Scott and asking who he was. Police said that Scott then admitted to to putting on the shiesty mask and firing a 9 mm gun at at Thomas.
Scott told police that he was shooting in self-defense. He was not permitted to carry a firearm due to a delinquent aggravated assault case that occurred on Nov. 11, 2017.
Scott is being held at the Allegheny County Jail. He is being charged with criminal homicide and two other charges for handling a gun without a license or permission.
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