Incremental progress in Indiana County shooting investigation to be expected, experts say

Nov. 26—When a crime like the October shooting at a private party in Indiana County takes place, police have a mountain of work in front of them.

They're tracking down witnesses, some of whom might not want to talk, and sifting through their statements to determine what might be pertinent. They're meticulously gathering evidence from the scene and waiting on results from testing laboratories.

And they're doing it all behind closed doors, typically without releasing much

information to the public.

It's not concerning that such an investigation takes time, said Daniel Lee, professor in the criminology and criminal justice department at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

"This is an incredibly serious event, and the police want to make sure they're moving slowly," he said. "They don't want to miss anything. ... They want to make sure all of the information they're collecting is accurate."

In the nearly seven weeks since the shooting that killed one person and wounded eight, sending more than 150

people racing into the night to escape the gunfire, investigators have been working the case. And authorities have been tight-lipped.

No arrests have been announced. Trooper Cliff Greenfield said state police have served a number of search warrants but declined further comment. District Attorney Robert Manzi Jr. did not return messages.

"This is on par with what we would expect in regards to best practices," Lee said.

State police previously said the shooting early Oct. 8 at the Chevy Chase Community Center in White Township stemmed from a confrontation among several individuals shortly after midnight. Bystanders were among those injured, and Jamar M. Porterfield Herriot Jr., 22, of Homestead was killed when dozens of rounds were fired.

More than 150 people raced out of the building in a chaotic scene while state troopers and municipal police helped the injured. An 18-year-old man from Chicago who initially was listed in critical condition remained hospitalized earlier this month but is expected to survive, Greenfield said.

Police believe there was more than one shooter.

Troopers were first called to the center around midnight for a noise complaint. The center is just outside Indiana Borough and about 2 miles from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania campus.

The party was not associated with the university, and it was billed as a homecoming after-party by the group that appears to have hosted it. The ages of those hurt ranged from 18 to 23 and included students at IUP and Waynesburg University, according to police and campus spokespeople.

Investigators tasked with handling such a crime likely are tracking down witnesses and collecting evidence, Lee said. They might be dealing with witnesses who don't want to talkor not have enough evidence to arrest the person or people they believe to be responsible.

"Police are in a challenging time period in our history where not everybody has a great appreciation for the police," he said.

They also might be dealing with witnesses whose memories are hazy, whether it be from the experience or because they were under the influence, said Sarah Daly, a criminologist.

"We have to consider that it was a traumatic incident," she said.

Forensic evidence from such a scene may include shell casings, bullets, fingerprints, hair samples and blood. All of that has to be analyzed by a lab before being sent back to police. Investigators will have to identify from what type of gun each shell casing and bullet was fired, and from what direction, Lee said. Then, they'll have to figure out whose hand the weapon was in.

"We want them to take their time because this is such a serious incident. Somebody died," he said. "Ultimately, that can be information that is submitted to a trial."

A combined reward of up to $15,000 is being offered by Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Anyone with information about the shooting or who left a cellphone or other belonging behind is asked to call state police at 724-357-1960. Anonymous tips can be made at crimewatchpa.com/crimestoppers.

A similar shooting during a party at an Airbnb rental property in Pittsburgh is still under investigation about 19 months later. Two teenagers were killed, and eight people were injured. Police said about 200 people, many underage, were at a party at the Airbnb in the city's East Allegheny neighborhood when gunfire erupted.

Police provided TribLive with no updates at the one year mark.

Renatta Signorini is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Renatta by email at rsignorini@triblive.com or via Twitter .