City man who shot Parkway West driver pleads guilty

Rashawn Hall accepted a plea agreement sentencing him to 4 to 8 years in prison.

By JUSTIN VELLUCCI
TribLive

The man who repeatedly shot at a fellow motorist last year while the two drove on the Parkway West — leading the victim to lose his left eye — is headed to prison for 4 to 8 years, according to a plea agreement.

Rashawn Hall, 23, of McKeesport agreed to plead guilty to charges of aggravated assault and conspiracy in the July 14, 2024, shooting. In exchange, prosecutors dropped an attempted homicide charge.

Hall’s prison sentence will be followed by seven years of probation, Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Bruce Beemer said. Hall could have faced a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and up to $25,000 in fines.

“It was a completely unjustified act. It was a completely senseless act,” Beemer said to Hall from the bench before accepting the plea deal. “You’re a father now. If somebody harmed your child in the senseless way (Hall’s victim) was harmed … I can only imagine how you’d feel.”

Hall was driving a gray Jaguar SUV north on Route 51 last summer, police said at the time. He was following Robert Long, who was driving a Chevy Malibu toward Pittsburgh International Airport, “extremely closely.”

As they headed for the on-ramp, Hall cut off two cars, pulled alongside Long’s silver Chevy Malibu and started shooting, authorities said.

Hall fired at least four times, through the passenger window, at Long’s vehicle, police and Allegheny County Assistant District Attorney Heather Schultz said.

Long previously told TribLive he suddenly felt blood pouring down his face into his mouth — so much that he had to spit it out just to breathe.

The 61-year-old grandfather of five quickly realized there was no collision. He’d been shot in the face.

He later lost his left eye, as well as his senses of taste and smell.

Two bullet fragments were found in Long’s car after the shooting, Schultz said in court Thursday. Police also found two spent casings on the street.

Authorities used dashboard camera footage from a witness’s car and license plate readers in the area to track down Hall, Schultz said.

Four days after the shooting, a Pittsburgh police officer spotted Hall’s Jaguar, unoccupied, in an alley on Pittsburgh’s North Side, Schultz said.

When police returned to the vehicle, Hall sped away, Schultz said. A brief chase ensued. Hall then quickly ditched the vehicle and ran.

Police caught Hall just blocks from where he abandoned the Jaguar in the city’s Marshall-Shadeland neighborhood.

They charged him with attempted homicide, aggravated assault and conspiracy.

On Thursday, Long told Beemer he wanted Hall’s prison sentence to be longer. He confirmed, however, that he approved of the agreement.

Long expressed frustration as he read a victim impact statement via video from his Indiana home.

“Physically, I’ve been scarred for life — there’s no getting around that,” Long said. “But mentally I just really want this to come to a conclusion.”

Multiple times during Thursday’s hearing Long also voiced compassion for the man who shot him.

“I really believe that rehabilitation is possible in this case. I believe Rashawn can change his ways,” Long said. “I hope Rashawn comes out of jail in four years a different person and a better person.”

Hall spoke briefly at the end of the nearly hour-long hearing and apologized to both Long and Long’s family.

“I take full responsibility,” Hall said. “I can only hope and pray you find forgiveness in your heart.”