Pittsburgh man set for eviction killed after starting apartment fire

Published March 22, 2013

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH –  Pittsburgh police say a man killed in an apartment fire was set to be evicted and intentionally started the blaze by disconnecting the gas line to his stove.

Witnesses reported hearing an explosion before just after 7 a.m. in the nine-story, 170-unit Amberson apartment complex in the city's Shadyside section.

The Allegheny County medical examiner has identified the dead man as 60-year-old Mark A. Williams. An autopsy shows he died of external burns and from inhaling superheated air.

Two people from other units in the building had to be treated for smoke inhalation.

County Sheriff William Mullen said Williams was set to receive an eviction notice Thursday. City Fire Chief Darryl Jones confirmed the cause of the blaze and police later in the day confirmed it was caused by Williams.

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13 hurt in shooting outside DC apartment building

WASHINGTON –  D.C. police now say 13 people were injured in a drive-by shooting in northwest Washington.

Police also say that one of the victims was in critical condition Monday afternoon. The other dozen victims suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Police have made no arrests, and detectives are working to establish a motive. Police initially reported that 11 people had been shot.

The shooting occurred around 2:10 a.m. in the area of New York Avenue and North Capitol Street. Police Chief Cathy Lanier says gunmen in a speeding car opened fire on a crowd standing outside an apartment building. Lanier says a nightclub across the street had let out about 15 minutes earlier.

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