'A part of my world just crashed in on me:' Mother of Jeannette shooting victim continues to mourn loss of daughter
JEANNETTE, Pa. (KDKA) - Westmoreland County law enforcement is seeking your help finding two persons of interest in connection to a mass shooting in Jeannette that killed a woman and hurt four others Friday night.
The woman's mom spoke exclusively to KDKA, saying none of them deserved this.
Bruna Leonard is in disbelief that her baby girl is gone.
Related: 'This was a shooting and not fireworks:' 25-year-old woman killed, four injured in Jeannette
"She had the most beautiful smile and the most beautiful eyes," Leonard said.
Her daughter, Brianna Lartz, also known as Bria, was killed at just 25 years old in a shooting on Lowry Avenue in Jeannette. It happened around 9:30 p.m. and left four others injured. They're expected to survive, but conditions are unknown.
"A part of my world just crashed in on me," Leonard said. "I felt like somebody punched me in the chest and then sucked the air right out of my body. I couldn't breathe."
Leonard said her daughter was having dinner with friends and family when shots rang out inside a home next to Neighbor's Tavern. The shooter or shooters then continued firing in the streets.
Police swarmed the area, put up crime tape, and placed evidence markers on the ground as a part of a large scene.
A few hours later, Pennsylvania State Police put out an alert that three-year-old K'hari Lartz was missing and believed to be with 25-year-old Deshawn Russell.
Leonard said K'hari is Bria's youngest son, and Russell is his father. K'hari was found safe, but Russell is still on the run. It's unclear whether the child was ever with him.
The Westmoreland County district attorney said Russell and another man, who they are still trying to identify, are persons of interest.
Leonard said Bria and Russell were together for about a year, a few years back, and said he was abusive. She remembers visiting Bria's house and finding holes in doors and walls.
"I asked her, 'What's this? You know what's going on here?' And she was like, 'Deshawn. That's where my head went through, this is where he threw me into, this he kicked in this door,'" Leonard said. "She had told me at one point in time, she said, 'Mom, if I ever end up dead,' she said, 'it's Deshawn.'"
Court records show Russell has a past criminal history that includes a recently attempted homicide charge in Uniontown, which has since been withdrawn.
In the meantime, Leonard is caring for K'hari, while Bria's five-year-old son is staying with his father.
"She was their life, and it just pains me to know that they are growing up without her," Leonard said.
If Leonard can send a message to the men at large, it's this.
"Do the right thing. Turn yourself in and just man up," Leonard said.
Russell is described as 5-foot-10 and 170 pounds. He was last seen wearing a white t-shirt and dark pants. The other man was last seen wearing a dark-colored t-shirt and blue jeans. Both are known to visit areas in Wilkinsburg, Braddock, and Uniontown, and the DA said they believe the men are armed and dangerous.
If you have any information about their whereabouts, call Jeannette police at 724-527-4013 or 724-836-1551 and ask for Westmoreland County detectives.
