Pittsburgh man charged in double homicide in Duquesne

A Pittsburgh man has been charged with fatally shooting a man and a woman on Jan. 20 at a home in Duquesne.

The suspect, 28-year-old Ishmeil Muhammad, periodically stayed at the residence in the 100 block of Commonwealth Avenue, which was the home of one of the victims, Catherine Lawing, 39, according to a complaint filed by Allegheny County Police.

Lawing and Sean Johnson, 30, of Turtle Creek, both were shot in the head, police said.

Johnson, who was the friend of another resident, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the complaint.

Lawing, who also was wounded in the wrist, was taken to Pittsburgh’s UPMC Mercy hospital, where she died three days later.

Witnesses told police the shooting occurred early in the morning after others apparently had deescalated an argument between Johnson and Muhammad, who was known to the witnesses as “Tim” or “M.”

According to the complaint, the two men had argued at the home several weeks earlier over their attraction to the same woman.

After Lawing returned from an errand to a convenience store on Jan. 20, witnesses said they heard several gunshots and took cover behind furniture in the home, according to the complaint.

A man described as Lawing’s boyfriend told police that, when he emerged from cover, he saw “Tim” jump over Lawing, who was lying near the bottom of some steps. The man told investigators he was afraid he would be shot as the suspect grabbed his arm and led him out of the house.

The man said he saw the suspect walking on Stockton Way, toward Harden Avenue. The witness took refuge in a friend’s home and called 911 to report the shooting, according to the complaint. Duquesne police initially responded to the scene shortly after 5 a.m.

With the help of a K-9 team from the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, county detectives said they retrieved a 9mm “ghost gun,” one without a serial number, from a sewer grate on Stockton. Investigators recovered matching spent 9mm cartridge casings and a live 9mm round from the Commonwealth Avenue home.

Police said they traced Muhammad through surveillance video and phone records. Witnesses identified the suspect as Muhammad when shown images of him, police said.

Muhammad is charged with two counts of criminal homicide and one count each of illegally possessing a firearm, carrying a firearm without a license and tampering with evidence. Police said a previous robbery conviction made it illegal for him to have a firearm.

Muhammad is awaiting a preliminary hearing.