Shooting at Gay Bathhouse in Pittsburgh Leaves Man Hospitalized
A homeless man is charged with attempted murder after shooting one patron and menacing six others inside the popular Club Pittsburgh.
A man was hospitalized and remains in critical condition after a shooting at a popular LGBTQ bathhouse in Pittsburgh last Friday.
Police and paramedics were called to Club Pittsburgh, in the 1100 block of Penn Avenue, around 2:15 a.m. on November 22 in response to reports of a man brandishing a weapon and threatening people, reports Pittsburgh ABC affiliate WTAE.
When officers arrived at the 18+ private club, they found a man on the fourth floor suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and torso.
Police told CBS News that the victim, who has not been identified, is intubated and will need several surgeries to survive.
The alleged shooter, 55-year-old William Samuels, is being held at the Allegheny County Jail, where he is charged with attempted homicide, terroristic threats, and simple assault.
Police recovered a gun from the club. The case remains under investigation.
Samuels told police that he was homeless and had rented a room at Club Pittsburgh for himself and his girlfriend because of the weather. He allegedly snuck the gun into the club under a heavy coat.
Samuels also told police that he thought he heard his girlfriend calling for help in another room. He grabbed his gun, tried to break into a room, shot a man, and pointed his gun at six other patrons before officers arrived and arrested him.
Club Pittsburgh is a multi-level, 24/7 club featuring a sex shop, gym, sauna, darkroom, and rooftop deck. It has been a fixture of Pittsburgh’s Strip District since 2001.
“Our foremost priority has always been to provide a safe and welcoming environment for our community, and it is heartbreaking that an act of gun violence has disrupted this space,” the club’s management posted on Facebook.
They added, “we are committed to thoroughly reevaluating our safety, security, and admission protocols to ensure the well-being of everyone who enters our doors…. Please know we are dedicated to reinforcing Club Pittsburgh as a space where all feel safe and valued.”
Local LGBTQ community leaders were shocked by the violent shooting.
“Club Pittsburgh has been around for a really long time,” Lyndsey Sickler, executive director of Proud Haven, a nearby overnight shelter for LGBTQ youth, told WTAE. “It’s a very well-known place in the city for our community. I’m horrified that people who were there for joy ended up in terror.”
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