McKeesport Daily News | By Patrick Cloonan
Authorities are reporting good news about a 15-year-old West Mifflin Area High School student critically wounded in a weekend ambush that claimed the life of Drew Henderson-Bracey.
"She is expected to make a full recovery," Allegheny County homicide Lt. Andrew Schurman said Tuesday. "She was upgraded to stable condition."
The girl was shot in the back as a gunman opened fire on Henderson-Bracey, 18, of Duquesne, shortly after midnight Sunday in the basement of a home along S. Fifth Street where a birthday party was ongoing.
Six others also were wounded in the incident. Investigators said all sustained superficial wounds.
Concern over Sunday's incident prompted a larger-than-usual police presence Monday at West Mifflin Area High School.
Along with East Allegheny, where Henderson-Bracey was a student, West Mifflin Area takes transfer students from Duquesne.
The increased presence of West Mifflin officers was a bid to calm anyone with jitters over the shooting.
"There were students who attend West Mifflin (Area) School District who attended the party," West Mifflin police Chief Ken Davies confirmed after Tuesday's borough council meeting.
Davies said no one anticipated any problems in the wake of Sunday's shooting but his department wanted to "give everyone a sense of security" at WMAHS.
Davies said there were no other West Mifflin residents among the victims of Sunday's shooting.
West Mifflin Area School District officials have not returned repeated calls over the past two days from The Daily News requesting comment.
East Allegheny superintendent Roger A. D'Emidio said his district was making use of grief counselors from Allegheny Intermediate Unit and Turtle Creek Valley Mental Health/Mental Retardation.
The district also planned to send home letters Tuesday to parents and guardians regarding the situation.
Meanwhile, following an autopsy Sunday, Allegheny County Medical Examiner's office said Henderson
Bracey's body was released to a Duquesne funeral home that will be handling arrangements.
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