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Teen arrested in daylight shooting of girl, 17, in Homewood; 2nd suspect sought

PITTSBURGH — A teenager was taken into custody Wednesday and another person remains on the run in connection with the September fatal shooting of a 17-year-old girl in Homewood, police said.

The Western Pennsylvania Fugitive Task Force and Pittsburgh Police served two arrest warrants Wednesday morning related to the shooting death of Daija McCall in broad daylight on Sept. 17.

Steven Cansler, 16, of East Liberty was arrested in the 6200 block of St. Marie Street, police said. He will be charged with criminal homicide, robbery, criminal use of a communications device and criminal conspiracy, as well as firearms violations related to a gun recovered. He is being charged as an adult.

The second arrest warrant was executed in the 300 block of Dunlap Street in Pittsburgh’s Perry North neighborhood. The person they were looking for was not found, but 19-year-old Brent Simms was arrested on charges for various narcotics violations unrelated to McCall’s death.

The identity of the person police are still looking for in connection with McCall’s death has not been released.

McCall participated in the YMCA Lighthouse, a program for teenagers that specializes in performing arts.

“Daija was one of the bright stars in the program,” James Brown, YMCA Youth Development Director, said.

Brown described McCall as a talented young woman and a budding artist. He said many of the teenagers who are involved in the Lighthouse program are like McCall: smart and talented, but often surrounded by people trying to pull them in the wrong direction.

A criminal complaint obtained by Channel 11 News revealed details about a new motive in the case: drugs.

Police said a witness came forward telling them that McCall, a high school sophomore, was trying to sell a half kilo of cocaine the day she was killed. The witness said her classmate, Cansler, acted as a middleman in the transaction, the complaint stated.

After his arrest, Cansler pointed police to the second suspect, another teen who uses several names on Facebook and was charged last year with attempted homicide. The charges were later dropped.

Channel 11 News also learned that McCall was on FaceTime with one of the suspects just before she was killed, and that the person buying drugs from her planned to rob her.

WPXI's Catherine Varnum reported that someone at the scene dropped a cellphone, which police used to help identify everyone involved.

A spokesperson for the Drug Enforcement Administration said half a kilo is about a pound of cocaine worth $15,000 to $16,000.

The spokesperson called it a “really significant amount of the drugs” for a teenager and far from a beginner level dealer.

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