Pittsburgh shooting suspect arrested

Nov. 14 (UPI) -- Police have a arrested a 16-year-old student and charged him as an adult in the shooting of three students outside a Pittsburgh high school Wednesday afternoon.

Anjohnito Willet Jr., known as AJ, was one of six people taken into custody following the shooting at the Beechview campus of Brashear High School, and the only one arrested. Willet was charged with four counts of attempted homicide, aggravated assault and recklessly endangering another person.

Willet was taken to Allegheny County jail and held on $500,000 bond.

Police said the shooting is believed to be retaliation for an October 18 incident in which Willet was the victim of a drug-related assault on campus. Instead of pressing charges, Lt. Kevin Kraus said Willet vowed to "take matters into his own account."

Responding to a shouted question, Willet denied shooting the three victims.

According to the criminal complaint, a person identified at Witness 1 said Willet told him he had to go to Brashear to meet a friend. They walked together toward the school, and after seeing a group of people, Willet said he no longer needed to meet the friend, and Witness 1 turned around to walk home. Once his back was turned, Witness 1 said he heard three shots, and then saw Willet with a gun.

"We do believe that he intended to go to that area, to the intersection of Crane and Lowenhill (avenues), specifically to target these individuals," Kraus said. "We have no evidence or information whatsoever to believe that there was anything else other than a targeted shooting directly resulting to an Oct. 18 incident in the school amongst high school students."

The three victims, all male teens, were being treated for their injuries.

[WTAE]