The suspected Pittsburgh shooter who was barricaded in the Garfield neighborhood, is dead, according to police.
The Pittsburgh police confirmed the suspected shooter to be 63-year-old William Hardison Sr. during a press conference Wednesday evening. Police responded to the active shooting situation Wednesday morning where “hundreds of rounds” were reportedly fired, lasting nearly seven hours.
***UPDATE***
The subject in this incident was pronounced deceased by @PghEMS at 5:08 p.m. EST.
Media briefing will be held shortly. We thank everyone for their patience. https://t.co/AWmLIPE580 pic.twitter.com/UQYSZEKQi2
— Pittsburgh Public Safety (@PghPublicSafety) August 23, 2023
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Allegheny County Sheriff Kevin M. Kraus couldn’t confirm if the suspect was killed by law enforcement or through a self-inflicted action during a 5:45 p.m. press conference. Kraus said Hardison was shooting out of the first-floor and second-floor windows and through the wall. Pittsburgh Police Chief Larry Scirotto said Hardison shot at police drones multiple times, noting “nothing was normal” about the situation.
Law enforcement began to evacuate people from houses in the 4800 block of Broad Street, with Pittsburgh Public Safety posting on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter: “If you are inside, please shelter in place, dial 911, and identify your address, location.” It’s unclear how many houses were evacuated.
At 11:23 a.m., Pittsburgh Public Safety warned of an “extremely active situation with shots continuing to be fired.” Minutes after, a reporter from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette described a massive police presence on the scene with “hundreds of rounds” continuing to be fired.
Massive police presence at active shooting scene in Garfield pic.twitter.com/IJ8VNEAHnQ
— Megan Guza (@meganguzaPG) August 23, 2023
Several shots were heard at Dearborn Street and N. Millvale Avenue around 12:30 p.m., per WTAE.
LISTEN: Just heard several shots fired at Dearborn Street and N. Millvale Ave. Heavy police presence. #WTAE pic.twitter.com/G8iVKaLUse
— Marcie Cipriani (@MCipriani_WTAE) August 23, 2023
One sergeant who was leading the charge sustained a minor injury, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, with a reporter quoting the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, “The active scene in Garfield began this morning when a detail from our office attempted to serve an eviction notice, which was followed by gunfire from the occupant of the residence.”
“One of our Sergeants who was leading the detail sustained a minor non-gunfire related injury while avoiding the incoming gunfire,” Megan Guza wrote, quoting the sheriff’s office on X. “He is OK.”
Trooper Rocco Gagliardi of the Pennsylvania State Police spoke to the press while multiple gunshots were going off in the background, saying that was likely a back-and-forth shooting between the suspect and the police. Drones are on the scene in an attempt to get a bird’s-eye view of the situation.
“This is still a very active and ongoing scene, as you just heard multiple gunshots being rounded off,” Gagliardi said, noting the state police will be taking the lead.
Gagliardi said 30 to 40 gunshots went back and forth and that they are working with all emergency services on the scene “to end this in the safest way possible.” Gagliardi said other units may be coming in to assist with the active situation.
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Hardison reportedly has a criminal history, and a judge approved a request last week by the property owner to evict him from his house, per WTAE. Law enforcement expressed they tried restlessly to remove Hardison from the home safely, but he refused, shooting down three to four drones police were using in an attempt to communicate with him.
Pennsylvania State Police will lead the investigation into Hardison moving forward.
