A 16-year-old Oliver High School student was shot to death in the Perry South neighborhood yesterday.
Jonathan Touchstone Jr. of Manchester was found with gunshot wounds to his head, chest and hand on city steps in the 2400 block of Hazelton Street shortly after 12:30 p.m.
He was taken to Allegheny General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Police found 30 stamp bags of heroin, usually valued at about $20 to $25 each, on Jonathan's person, according to Cmdr. Thomas Stangrecki.
He was last seen walking up the city steps leading to Hazelton Street with another unidentified male. A few minutes later, shots were fired in the area. Cmdr. Stangrecki said Jonathan was unarmed and appeared to be specifically targeted.
"He's been a troubled youth," said Jonathan's grandfather, Lonnie Touchstone, 82, of Homewood.
"He was sort of a distant type of young man. He didn't respond as far as trying to tell him what to do and that type of thing. He wasn't belligerent or anything -- it just didn't sink in. It's very sad, but that's the way it is."
Lonnie Touchstone said his grandson had spent time in Shuman Juvenile Detention Center, as well as another correctional facility near Harrisburg, on a gun charge. He was released a couple of months ago, Lonnie Touchstone said.
"Since he's been home, he's still maintained his relationship with questionable people," Mr. Touchstone said.
Jonathan was a 10th-grader at Oliver, school district spokeswoman Ebony Pugh said. He was not at school yesterday.
Ms. Pugh said the gunfire was heard inside McNaugher School, a city school for special-education students in grades three through 12. McNaugher is on Maple Street.
She said McNaugher was locked down, then students were dismissed early, with buses rerouted to avoid the crime scene.
Mr. Touchstone said Jonathan is survived by an older sister and two younger brothers, as well as parents Jonathan Touchstone Sr. and Ronnelle Touchstone.
As of last night, funeral arrangements had not been finalized.
First Published: November 1, 2008, 4:00 a.m.