Janese Talton-Jackson, a 29-year old mother of two, was shot and killed Friday morning in Pittsburgh while leaving a bar. Reports say 41-year-old suspect Charles McKinney followed Talton-Jackson outside and fatally shot her. The reason: she turned down his advances.

Officers responded to a report of gunshots at Cliff’s Bar in the city’s Homewood section. When emergency crews arrived they found Janese lying in the street with a gunshot wound to the chest. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Subsequently, during a traffic stop, local police encountered Charles McKinney. During the stop, the officers received a dispatch stating that a woman had been gunned down in the area, and upon hearing this, McKinney sped off, leading to a chase where police shot at his car. It came to an end after McKinney crashed into an unoccupied car that was parked. The suspect was taken to the hospital and is stable condition.

McKinney, who is currently in custody, has been charged with the homicide of Janese Talton-Jackson, as well as aggravated assault, possessing a firearm without a license, fleeing the police, possession with intent to deliver, reckless driving and reckless endangerment.

charles-mckinney — Photo: Courtesy of Pittsburgh Police

The troubling story adds to growing concerns surrounding cat-calling and the threat placed upon women when they don’t accept advances from men. Researchers from the University of Missouri-Kansas City recently released a study on the link between being cat-called and psychological distress. They studied 133 African-American women and 95 white women who were undergraduate students and asked how often they have been whistled at while walking down the street. “Most women report feeling angry, annoyed, disgusted, nervous, and scared when they’re catcalled, and — for good reason — they’re often concerned it will escalate into something more threatening.” Cases like Janese Talton-Jackson’s, and the unfortunate string of similar incidents that have taken place over the last few years, likely only add to this feeling of risk.

Janese was the sister of State House Rep. Ed Gainey, and survived by her two young children. The two officers involved in stopping and shooting at Charles McKinney are now on administrative leave while the District Attorney’s office investigates the incident.

Charles McKinney

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