Surveillance captures shooting near Brookline plaza
Pittsburgh police have filed charges in connection with a shooting that occurred in the early morning hours of Aug. 23 along West Liberty Avenue, authorities said. Surveillance footage reviewed by investigators shows a man identified as Allen Davis firing at a vehicle traveling north on the corridor around 1:45 a.m.
The clip, provided by the owner of West Liberty Beer & Tobacco, shows a red Chevrolet Cruze parked in front of the Advance Auto Parts in the shopping plaza. In the video, the man walks back and forth before reaching into the Cruze, removing a firearm, extending his arm and shooting toward oncoming traffic. Court documents cited by police describe that sequence.
"Luckily, nothing happened to anybody, any of the customers, anybody," said Moe Goraya, the store owner, who provided the surveillance video to local television.
Goraya, who owns the plaza where the business is located in the Brookline neighborhood, told Channel 11 that the man was yelling and striking his own vehicle before producing the gun. He said three separate vehicles passed by and the shooter fired at the third car. Advance Auto Parts employees reportedly found a spent casing in the parking lot and called police, according to the business owner.
Investigative leads and surrounding footage
Police also obtained surveillance video from B & J's Bar and Grill, located further down West Liberty Avenue. Investigators believe the man was at that establishment both before and after the shooting and that he engaged in a physical confrontation with someone inside the bar prior to driving to the plaza, court documents state.
The driver and passenger of the struck vehicle reported hearing a loud noise. The passenger initially feared he had been hit, but was ultimately uninjured, according to police statements relayed to local media. At last check, police had charged Davis but he was not in custody.
Business owner response and neighborhood concerns
Goraya said the plaza has experienced other violent incidents in recent years; Channel 11 previously obtained footage of an armed robbery at his store. In response to the Aug. 23 shooting, he plans to increase security camera coverage at the property.
- Time and place: Around 1:45 a.m., West Liberty Avenue shopping plaza, Brookline.
- Suspect identified: Allen Davis, per police and court documents.
- Injuries: No injuries reported; a passenger believed he had been shot but was unharmed.
Local residents and business owners on West Liberty Avenue have expressed concerns about public safety after repeated incidents. The presence of multiple surveillance cameras in the area helped investigators reconstruct the events and identify the suspect, officials said.
| Detail | Report |
|---|---|
| Vehicle involved | Red Chevrolet Cruze (suspect's vehicle) |
| Where casing was found | Advance Auto Parts parking lot |
| Other footage | B & J's Bar and Grill surveillance |
Police did not release additional details about the charges or any potential motive in initial statements shared with media outlets. The case remains under investigation, and officials encouraged anyone with further information to contact Pittsburgh Bureau of Police.
The shooting underscores ongoing challenges for business owners and residents in commercial corridors who say they rely on camera systems and prompt police response to document incidents and protect patrons. Goraya's decision to expand surveillance follows earlier crimes at the same site, a reminder to neighborhood merchants of the continuing public-safety concerns on that stretch of West Liberty Avenue.
