An 18-year-old man was selling a handgun in the parking lot of a Giant Eagle in Ohio Township earlier this month when he was shot, police say in court records charging two men with homicide, robbery and conspiracy.
Bystanders tried to help Jordan Nathan Ross Geiger after he crashed his car in the area of Gass and Ben Avon Heights roads not far from the grocery store on Aug. 2.
It was after he died at Allegheny General Hospital that doctors discovered a gunshot wound under Geiger’s right armpit, police say in the court filing. His death was ruled a homicide from the single gunshot.
Allegheny County Police charged Emmanuel Caden Houghton, 19, of Carnegie and Tyler Matthew Stewart, 22, of McKeesport on Friday. From their voluntary discussions with police, it is not clear who fired the shot that killed Geiger. Neither admitted to firing the shot, and each said they heard the gunshot fired as the sale went sideways.
According to the criminal complaint, Houghton and Stewart were each driving vehicles reported stolen that day when they went to the Giant Eagle off of Interstate 279 in Ohio Township to meet Geiger.
Stewart arrived in a Honda Accord stolen from Green Tree, while Houghton was driving a Chevy Traverse taken from Canonsburg. Stewart got into the back seat of the Traverse for the transaction.
With information from Geiger’s cellphone, police found Houghton used the name “Mr. Grim Reaper” on Snapchat, through which he and Geiger arranged to meet at the Giant Eagle. When Houghton asked what kind of gun he was buying, Geiger described it as a “ghost Glock,” for which Houghton said he was bringing $550.
In his voluntary interview with police, Houghton said he arranged to trade a gun with “J Bone,” which police said is Geiger’s Snapchat handle and nickname. He described the gun Geiger brought as a tan Glock 17.
When Geiger threw the gun into the vehicle, Houghton told police he pointed his own gun at Geiger and told him to chill, the complaint says.
Houghton said Stewart yelled from the back seat to “get the (expletive) off of him,” after which Houghton said he heard a pop, which he descried as one gunshot, coming from between the door and headrest.
Police said Houghton said, “I heard that (expletive) moan, and I said get up, he (Geiger) laughed, got in his car, and pulled off.”
In his interview with police, Stewart said he and Houghton were both armed with handguns, the complaint states.
Stewart said Geiger handed the gun to Houghton, after which Houghton told Geiger, “You’re burnt.” Houghton and Geiger got into an altercation over the gun that Stewart described as “wrestling,” the complaint says.
The wrestling forced Geiger to lean into the vehicle with Houghton. From the back, Stewart said he shouted at Geiger to let Houghton go, and for Houghton to drive off. Stewart said he heard one pop, identified as a gunshot, and Houghton pulled out of the parking lot.
A friend of Geiger, who was with him the day of the homicide, said Geiger had left a relative’s house in Ross to sell the gun to Houghton at the Giant Eagle. A short time later, the friend said Geiger called and said, “I’m dying. I’m in the woods. Stained me. Got shot in my arm,” the complaint states. “Stained” or “stain” is slang for being robbed.
The Honda Accord police said Stewart drove to the meeting was found abandoned with a flat tire on the ramp to I-279 South.
The Chevy Traverse was found Aug. 3 parked at South Hills Village Mall. The driver, later identified as Houghton, was able to evade capture. The vehicle was found later that day engulfed in flames in an alley in Pittsburgh’s Elliot neighborhood.
Houghton told police he had sold it, the complaint states.
As investigators were looking into Houghton and Stewart, they learned other agencies were also investigating them.
On Aug. 14, Houghton was pursued by Monongahela police, during which he is alleged to have fired multiple shots from inside a stolen vehicle at a police vehicle, then barricaded himself in a residence before being arrested.
Houghton said a tan Glock recovered during the police standoff was the one Geiger had brought to Giant Eagle, the complaint states.
On that same day, Allegheny County Sheriff deputies arrested Stewart after a pursuit in which Stewart was allegedly driving a Jeep Cherokee stolen from Carnegie. A 9 mm handgun, short barrel rifle, gun holster, body armor, mask and six sets of car keys were found inside the Jeep, the complaint states.
Houghton and Stewart are being held in the Allegheny County Jail.
Brian C. Rittmeyer is a TribLive reporter covering news in New Kensington, Arnold and Plum. A Pittsburgh native and graduate of Penn State University's Schreyer Honors College, Brian has been with the Trib since December 2000. He can be reached at brittmeyer@triblive.com.
