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Police say latest shooting victim is youngest in string of Pittsburgh violence

PITTSBURGH — A 14-year-old boy was shot in the chest Wednesday night in Pittsburgh's Arlington neighborhood, making him the youngest victim in a string of violence in the area.

Investigators said the shooting happened as the boy and a friend were walking near the intersection of Elsie and Fernleaf streets.

Police said the boys tried running from the gunfire, but the victim was shot in the chest and eventually collapsed near Arlington Elementary School.

Neighbor Frane Brooks saw the scene.

"Neighbors were holding him, putting compression on his wounds and trying to stop the bleeding before the ambulance got there," said Brooks.

Brooks knew the victim's friend; he was one of her students.  She said she kept him close by until he could be reunited with his family.

"He was a little distraught.  I just talked to him to keep him calm," she said.

Investigators said they have not made any arrests in the case, but a weapon was found in the area.

"We did recover a BB gun here in this scene, which spans four blocks. We don't know where the fits in the puzzle, or what happened here just yet," said Pittsburgh Public Safety spokeswoman Sonya Toler.

Police said they don't know whether the teens were the intended targets of the shooting.

The boy remains at UPMC Mercy Hospital.