In Pittsburgh and Allegheny County Black-on-Black crime has taken a deadly toll

Andy Sheehan:

In the past year, 95 people were murdered in Allegheny County and 70 of those were black men.

Now some in the community are sounding the alarm.

On Monday, two African-American men were gunned down in McKeesport.

One of them was Tanika Cromerdie-Daniels’ brother.

“This is Martin Luther King's birthday and yet it's another black on black crime. I think that's sad, very sad,” she said.

The story of black men being murdered - mostly by members of their own race – has become so common that many have accepted it as a sad fact of the times.

But not the reporters and editors of the Pittsburgh Courier.

“We sat down as a staff and said look we're under attack. And that's what we called the campaign,” said Lou Ranson of the Pittsburgh Courier. “We're under attack and we made sure to answer we're under attack by us. If there we're marauding bands of white folks driving throughout our neighborhood firing, then a war would be on.”

For the past year, the paper has been publishing the names and race of people murdered in Allegheny County and the year’s end tally tells a grim tale.

Of 95 people murdered, 77 were black and 70 of those were black men.

It’s prompted Courier staff to begin a campaign of public awareness and action.

“We're calling on the black community to do something and to step up and say these kinds of things should not happen we need to do something about it,” said Ranson.

Black on Black crime is a family problem