By TopTrendReportTv

September 13, 2023

Two individuals have received life sentences without the option of parole on Wednesday, following their conviction in the fatal drive-by shooting of a toddler in downtown Pittsburgh.

Markez Anger, aged 25, and Londell Falconer, 27 years old, were found guilty of first-degree murder this past June for the death of 18-month-old De’Avry Thomas. The tragic incident occurred last year near the PPG Place building complex in the heart of the city.

According to the prosecution, Falconer was at the wheel while Anger, situated in the passenger seat, unleashed over a dozen bullets towards another car in May 2022. Tragically, De’Avry, who was seated in the back of his mother's vehicle, was hit by at least one bullet and died at the site of the shooting, although his mother remained unharmed.

Authorities cited security footage which captured Anger shooting out of the car window at the vehicle containing De’Avry while panicked bystanders scrambled to safety. The attacked vehicle was later located in the city's North Side, with 13 bullet holes evident and both defendants’ fingerprints discovered on a jettisoned can and the car roof.

A heartbreaking testimony came from the toddler’s mother, Dea’Shea Green, who communicated her daily torment and the heartrending moment she realized she could not save her child. Despite asserting their innocence and expressing intention to appeal for retrials, Anger and Falconer were handed stringent sentences, accompanied by additional years for a series of criminal counts, as mandated by Judge Bruce Beemer. The judge condemned the horrifying act as "brazen, reckless, and intentional," mourning the loss of a young life full of potential.