#1– 10-year-old Ta’Niyah Thomas murdered
Ta'Niyah Thomas
From left, Malik Thomas, Douglas Cochran Jr. and Anthian Goehring, three of the four men accused in the shooting death of 10-year-old Ta’Niyah Thomas inside her family’s West Chestnut Street apartment, exit the Washington County Courthouse under heavy guard after being ordered to stand trial following a preliminary hearing.
Four men are awaiting trial in the March 31 shooting death of a 10-year-old girl inside her West Chestnut Street apartment.
Ta’Niyah Thomas was in her bedroom when gunshots rang out and was running across to the hall to her mother’s bedroom when she was shot. The 10-year-old was struck in the back of the head and left shoulder by bullets fired through the door of the apartment at 450 W. Chestnut she shared with her mother, her mother’s boyfriend and her baby brother.
Charged in the murder of the fourth-grade student at Washington Park Elementary School are Douglas Cochran Jr., 18; Anthian Goehring, 28; Malik Thomas, 21; and Richard White, 18, all of Washington. The four were taken into custody five days after Ta’Niyah was killed. Goehring and White are half brothers, while Thomas is the girl’s cousin.
During a court proceeding in September before visiting Allegheny County Judge Edward Borkowski, White testified that the four were on their way to the Red Roof Inn for the night, but Goehring changed their plans. Goehring and Cochran reportedly decided to get money from “Oak,” who was identified as Robert Lester, the boyfriend of the girl’s mother, Shantye Brown.
White testified that Goehring and Cochran entered the apartment building. He said he saw Goehring kick at the apartment door and heard several gunshots.
Borkowski set a tentative trial date of March 30, 2015.
The 10-year-old was not the only person shot and killed in the city this year. Matthew McGlone, 21, of Washington, was fatally wounded Oct. 25 behind the Comfort Lounge on Jefferson Avenue. His killer has not been caught.