PITTSBURGH — Two men have been convicted on homicide charges stemming from a drive-by shooting in Pittsburgh last year that left a toddler dead in his car seat.
Markez Anger, 23, and Londell Falconer, 26, both face potential life sentences following their convictions Wednesday. Prosecutors said Falconer was driving a vehicle and his passenger, Anger, fired more than a dozen shots at another vehicle in May 2022.
At least one bullet hit 18-month-old De’Avry Thomas, who was in the back seat. He was pronounced dead at the scene. His mother was driving and was not injured.
Authorities say the child and his mother were not the targets of the shooting, but haven't said who the target was or what prompted the violence. They said the mother was in the city's downtown area to check out a penthouse that she and her friends planned to use for a birthday party.
Security cameras recorded Anger leaning out the passenger-side window and shooting at the vehicle De’Avry was in, as bystanders nearby began running away. Authorities counted 13 bullet holes in the vehicle.
The vehicle Anger and Falconer were in fled the scene but was later found on the city’s North Side, and security footage from that area showed Falconer getting out of the driver’s seat, authorities said. Fingerprints from a discarded can and the vehicle's roof matched Falconer and Anger, and security video showed Anger at a gas station wearing clothing that matched one of the suspects.
