Man wounded, charged in shootout in East Pittsburgh

A Pittsburgh man was shot and wounded in East Pittsburgh Saturday night after opening fire on a group of people on a porch, according to Allegheny County Police.

George Garland Murphy, 40, suffered a gunshot wound to his shoulder in the exchange of gunfire on Prospect Drive in the Prospect Terrace Housing Complex. He is charged with four counts of aggravated assault, two counts of reckless endangerment and a firearms offense.

Officers from several departments, including the Allegheny County Housing Authority and Eastern Regional Mon Valley, responded to the report of shots fired around 7:45 p.m.

After officers arrived and found Murphy in the 100 block of Prospect Drive, he was treated by medics and taken to Forbes Hospital in Monroeville for evaluation, according to a criminal complaint.

Officers found spent cartridge casings in the area of a residence in the 70 block of Prospect Drive. A man and woman there said they and others were on the porch when Murphy approached and began firing in their direction. The man returned fire, striking Murphy, who continued to fire as he retreated, the complaint states.

Their account was supported by footage from housing authority surveillance cameras, in which Murphy is seen approaching the porch, raising his right arm with a gun in his hand and firing multiple shots toward the porch, the complaint states. Those on the porch are seen scattering and ducking for safety while the man on the porch returns fire.

Police found Murphy has multiple warrants out of the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, making him a fugitive from justice and therefore not permitted to possess a firearm, the complaint states.

Murphy was being treated at the hospital on Sunday, where he was last reported to be in stable condition, county police said. He has not yet been arraigned on the charges against him, according to court records.