The victim was found in the foyer doorway leading into Commonwealth Charter Academy.

Bullet casings litter the scene, with one gun found inside the room, and another just outside the entrance.

The investigators stream into the waiting room, carefully placing numbered cups alongside the evidence — a casing here, the body over there, the pistol near the couch.

Photographers snap shots of the scene, cataloging the information that will help them crack the case.

West Penn Police Department’s Crime Scene Investigation Campers are on the case.

For six days, eager young investigators were able to take part in the department’s day camp, with a special topic covered for each session. Interrogation and questioning tactics, fingerprinting and shoe-casting were just a few elements covered over the course of the camp, and Saturday’s crime scene investigation brought it all together.

“Today, they’re tying everything up and putting their crime scene skills in action. So, we create these mock crime scenes with fake bodies, and they have to enter the crime scene, assess the situation, designate who is going to be the photographer, who is going to draw the crime scene and who is going to do the interviewing,” Sgt. Jason Lorah said. “They have to come together as a team and apply all of their skills that they learned throughout the week.”

The investigation

After splitting the class into two smaller groups, officers and counselors ushered the young campers in to begin the investigation.

“We have to take photographs and notes, and check the six corners, and talk to witnesses,” camper Siena Stellfox, 9, said.

As the team evaluated the room, a somewhat befuddled witness by the name of Bubba Ray — Lorah in a pillow-stuffed shirt, goofy hat and a pair of glasses — stumbled upon the crime scene while looking for his beloved dog. A barrage of questions from the investigators threw Bubba for a loop, and after a suggestion from police Chief Brian Johnson to divide tasks among the group members, a smaller team managed to get some answers about the suspects.

“Bubba Ray is this over-the-top witness that just happens to be everywhere, looking for his lost dog Samson. Bubba Ray is confused, but he has a good memory of things. He just doesn’t know how to put things straight when he’s being spoken to,” Lorah said.

“The kids have to learn how to interview, to pull back. Instead of doing an interrogation, it’s an interview. You’ve got to learn how to treat people who may have seen something or heard something.”

According to Bubba, there was one short man with a beard dressed in black who was walking down the sidewalk. After Bubba heard the gunshots — he’s not sure how many — the man raced to a waiting blue car.

Meanwhile, other groups examined the walls for bullet holes, matching them up with nearby casings and measuring distances to ascertain where the shots came from. Team members photographed the evidence and take down notes about the room, the body and the rest of the scene.

Johnson said the class stresses the need to work together. “The whole point of this is so they have some understanding of what we do, and to teach them teamwork. We try not to lose the perspective of having fun, but we also try to teach them a little bit.”

Super sleuths

After a lunch break, the teams came back together and assembled their cases with the help of camp counselors.

“I like helping the little kids with things like that,” counselor John Buday, 15, said. “You had to be very strict sometimes, but all in all, it was very fun. This year has been fun, and I advise other people to do it.”

The team then presented their case.

Natiya Adams, 9, who wants to be a forensic investigator like NCIS’s Abby Sciuto when she grows up, said that the investigation worked out well.

“I liked looking at the crime scene and trying to figure out what happened,” Adams said. “I think the most hard thing is to get the person who did it, because fingerprints and things can be pretty close. No matter how long it takes, I will solve the crime.”

Camp coordinator Michele Bittner said that this year’s camp worked out well, with a great combination of education and recreation for the kids.

“I have to say that the kids get so much out of this. It’s not just about what they’re learning, it’s also about friendships, working together and hanging out. I think it’s a great experience for them,” she said.

Closing off the camp, Lorah held the graduation ceremony, congratulating the skilled junior detectives for a week of great work.

“I am very impressed with them, and very proud of them. They put it all together in the summation, and they should be proud of themselves. I think they did a great job today,” he said.