PITTSBURGH — People living in Pittsburgh’s Allentown neighborhood came together in the pouring rain demanding action Saturday afternoon. They want to see a convenience store shut down saying it’s been a hotspot for crime.
Neighbors stood in front of Adan Market 2 on East Warrington Avenue holding signs that read, ‘Nuisance business got to go’ and ‘Do no business here.’
“We’re not anti-business. We are pro-public safety,” said Aerion Abney (D-PA).
State and city leaders vowed to make the streets of Allentown safer.
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“Public safety is saying no more,” said Mayor Ed Gainey. “We want to save lives.”
To save lives, several community members believe the minimart needs to be shut down now.
“I believe this business should be closed,” said Jill Evans who lives a couple blocks away. “I’m tired of our kids getting killed.”
City Councilperson Bob Charland said the minimart is the center of violence and drug activity. He said the most recent homicide where a man was shot inside the store last Sunday, March 3, was the third deadly shooting in as many years.
“The business behind me is a nuisance property. Enough is enough. The business needs to leave,” said Charland. “We want to stop seeing our kids being killed needlessly in front of a store like this.”
In 2021 and 2022, Charland said two teenage boys were gunned down in front of Adan Market, including Earlene Clancy’s son. The heartbroken mother said Izeyah was just 17 years old.
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Clancy believes closing the minimart will finally put an end to the senseless bloodshed.
“It’s just endless killings in front of this market and grieving families who have to continue to grieve over their young ones because they’re just getting gunned down in front of this market,” she said.
Channel 11 briefly spoke with the owner of Adan Market 2 over the phone. He said he’s not going to close despite public pressure. The DA is the only one who can shut a business down. He told us detectives are looking into the history of the store.
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