Teens charged with shooting man with BB gun Downtown

Four teenagers allegedly took turns shooting an unconscious man with a BB gun in Downtown Pittsburgh last year, taking the time to reload and change the CO2 cartridge numerous times before leaving him clinging to life in an alleyway, according to charges filed last week.

Karmelo Harshey, 18, Desmond Robinson, 15, and Isaiah Johnson and Lee Wilson, both 16, are all charged with attempted homicide and aggravated assault. The juveniles are charged as adults, police said.

The charges stem from a November incident in which police and paramedics responded to Coffey Way near Sixth Avenue for a man who was unconscious and had a faint pulse, according to the criminal complaint filed against the teens.

Police at the time noted that there were few clues at the scene to point to what happened to the man, eventually identified days later as Christopher Gaylor, though he was initially admitted to the hospital as a John Doe.

Physicians initially thought Gaylor might have suffered an overdose or hypothermia, as overnight temperatures Nov. 29, the day he was found, dipped down below 40 degrees. A CT scan later showed he’d recently been shot by a BB gun for birdshot, according to the complaint, and physicians noted he was suffering from myriad issues, include heart failure and respiratory failure.

Investigators ultimately found video recorded by cameras at the Duquesne Club that allegedly showed the teenagers shooting the unconscious Gaylor “for approximately five minutes,” according to the complaint. The alleged assault happened about 6:30 p.m., about seven hours before someone called paramedics to the scene.

Police noted that “Gaylor is unconscious throughout the entire assault and is unable to defend himself” and said the teenagers “pass the BB guns to each other and changed the Co2 cartridges several times.” Investigators found a CO2 cartridge and BBs in the alley where Gaylor was found, according to the complaint. A nearby window also appeared to have been shot with a BB.

Gaylor died two days later in the hospital. Neither the criminal complaint nor the medical examiner’s office has offered a cause of death.

Investigators showed still photos of the teens to officers in Zone 2, which includes Downtown Pittsburgh, and those officers identified the teenagers, according to the complaint. The four were captured by security cameras at a Liberty Avenue convenience store and on a Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus within a half hour of the assault.

In addition to assault and attempted homicide, the teenagers are charged with conspiracy, reckless endangerment and possessing instruments of crime.

Court records show police filed charges against all four teenagers Feb. 10. Robinson was taken into custody that day, according to records. Johnson was arrested Monday, per records, Wilson was arrested Tuesday, and Harshey on Thursday.

A judge denied bail for Wilson, calling him in court records a “danger to the community.” Johnson remained in the Allegheny County Jail, unable to post $25,000 bail. Robinson was released Tuesday on $5,000 bond, and Harshey was awaiting arraignment Thursday. Preliminary hearings are set for Feb. 22.

Records did not list a defense attorney for any of the suspects.