Bicyclist shot and killed in Bloomfield identified as former Pittsburgh city intern

Pittsburgh officials on Tuesday mourned the loss of a former city intern who was shot and killed while riding his bike through Bloomfield.

Alexander Yerkey, 26, whose home address was listed as Bethel Park, died shortly before 7 p.m. Sunday after being shot in the head, the Allegheny County Medical Examiner confirmed. The man charged in connection with his killing is in Allegheny County Jail.

A witness told police they saw Yerkey bicycling and, after he turned onto Pearl Street, heard screaming and a gunshot, according to a criminal complaint. The witness walked around the corner and saw the shooter standing over Yerkey with a gun in his right hand.

Mayor Ed Gainey described Yerkey as “a kind, gentle, and thoughtful person who was passionate about making Pittsburgh a better place for everyone.”

On LinkedIn, Yerkey listed his current job as a transportation planning associate for SB Thomas & Associates in Pittsburgh.

According to the LinkedIn profile, after graduating from the University of Pittsburgh in 2020, Yerkey served as a traffic engineering intern for the City of Pittsburgh from January 2022 through March 2022. There, he created project pages on the city’s engagePGH site for traffic calming projects, among other duties.

“Pittsburgh, please join me in prayer for the family and friends of Alex Yerkey, whose life was taken in a senseless act of gun violence,” Gainey said in a statement. “He left a lasting impression during his time as both an intern and a consultant for the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure, and today we are grieving this loss while also feeling gratitude for having known him.”

Gainey said city officials are providing “help and support” to the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure as its employees process the sudden death.

A person identified as Matthew Nehr started a GoFundMe page this week to help pay for Yerkey’s unexpected funeral expenses; that page had raised more than $31,000 of its $35,000 goal on Tuesday afternoon.

Nehr, as well as Yerkey’s family, could not be reached Tuesday for comment.

An obituary said that Yerkey graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2015. He had a bachelor’s degree from Pitt in urban planning.

“He had a love of music like no other, especially the guitar and bass,” the obituary said. “Alex is also survived by his faithful feline companion, Lou. Alex was very active in many sports, including baseball, roller hockey, and ice hockey. He will be remembered for his sweet, genuine smile, and his willingness to help others. He loved and cared for his friends and family deeply.”

Pittsburgh police said the ShotSpotter system registered several alerts for shots fired around 2:35 p.m. Sunday in the area of Corday Way and Pearl Street. A witness interviewed by police said the shooter also shot at them, according to the criminal complaint.

Police said they arrested a man who fit witness descriptions — Lukas Kislak, 33, of Braddock — on Penn Avenue after the shooting. He now faces charges of criminal homicide, recklessly endangering the life of another person, and two firearms counts. Police have not released any possible motive for the shooting.

Yerkey’s sister told WTAE that he was living in Bloomfield and riding his bike to a baseball field for a weekly game when he was shot. She told the station he was found dead about a block from his home. A backpack, with his baseball bat inside, was next to him.

Kislak was denied bail Monday and has a preliminary hearing scheduled for April 12.

Click here to read Yerkey’s obituary.