Gunman killed after shooting four people at Masontown MDJ office
Police have the Masontown office of Magisterial District Judge Daniel Shimshock taped off as they investigate a shooting there around 2 p.m. today.聽Several people, including Masontown police Sgt. Scott Miller, were shot. Authorities have confirmed that the suspect in the shooting at a Masontown magistrate's office was shot and killed by a German Township police officer.
Michael Palm | 蘑菇视频
State troopers stand near a door that was damaged in the shooting incident at the Masontown office of Magisterial District Judge Daniel Shimshock at 2 p.m. today.
Michael Palm | 蘑菇视频
Police have the Masontown office of Magisterial District Judge Daniel Shimshock taped off as they investigate a shooting there around 2 p.m. today. Several people, including Masontown police Sgt. Scott Miller, were shot. Authorities have confirmed that the suspect in the shooting at a Masontown magistrate蘑菇视频 office was shot and killed by a German Township police officer.
Michael Palm | 蘑菇视频
Two state troopers watch over a car with a hole shot in its rear window. A man allegedly opened fire at the Masontown office of Magisterial District Judge Daniel Shimshock around 2 p.m. today. Several people, including Masontown police Sgt. Scott Miller, were shot. Authorities have confirmed that the suspect in the shooting at a Masontown magistrate蘑菇视频 office was shot and killed by a German Township police officer. Several people, including Masontown police Sgt. Scott Miller, were shot. Authorities have confirmed that the suspect in the shooting at a Masontown magistrate蘑菇视频 office was shot and killed by a German Township police officer.
Michael Palm | 蘑菇视频
Police have the Masontown office of Magisterial District Judge Daniel Shimshock taped off as they investigate a shooting there around 2 p.m. today. Several people, including Masontown police Sgt. Scott Miller, were shot. Authorities have confirmed that the suspect in the shooting at a Masontown magistrate蘑菇视频 office was shot and killed by a German Township police officer.
Alyssa Choiniere | 蘑菇视频
Police vehicles line the street leading to the Masontown office of Magisterial District Judge Daniel Shimshock. Several people were shot there Wednesday.
Police have responded to a shooting at the Masontown office of Fayette County Magisterial District Judge Daniel Shimshock. The coroner has been called to the scene.
Shimshock
Kylie Martelli, 8, and her mother, Ashley Martelli were inside the Masontown office of Magisterial District Judge Daniel C. Shimshock at about 2 p.m. Wednesday when a man opened fire, shooting four people, including a police officer. The shooter was fatally shot by police.
Masontown Police, whose department is in the basement of a Masontown magistrate's office where four people were shot Wednesday, assist state police in their investigation. One of the Masontown officers, R. Scott Miller, was shot in the hand when he attempted to apprehend the shooter.
Alyssa Choiniere | 蘑菇视频
State police Lt. Steve Dowlin detailed a 2 p.m. shooting at a Masontown magistrate Wednesday, where four people were injured, including a Masontown police officer. He and Fayette County District Attorney Rich Bower, at left, commended police for their swift response.
Alyssa Choiniere | 蘑菇视频
State Police Trooper Nathan Spangler stands behind the crime tape at the Masontown office of Magisterial District Judge Daniel Shimshock, while other investigators gather for a meeting as they investigate a shooting there around 2 p.m. today. Several people, including Masontown police Sgt. Scott Miller, were shot. Authorities have confirmed that the suspect in the shooting at a Masontown magistrate蘑菇视频 office was shot and killed by a German Township police officer.
Witnesses gather after a mass shooting at a Masontown magistrates office where four people were shot at about 2 p.m. Wednesday. About 30 or 40 people were in the building at the time of the shooting.
German Township Police Chief Dave Hromada commented during a press conference about the scene of a mass shooting at a Masontown magistrate where four people were shot Wednesday afternoon. A German Township police officer fatally shot the shooter.
When Crystal Dowdell told her husband she wanted a divorce on Aug. 25, he wrapped a belt around her neck and told her he would kill her and anyone else he had to, police said in a criminal complaint.
She talked him down, police said, calmed him by saying she鈥檇 stay. Then she fled and called 911.
On Wednesday, Patrick Dowdell, 61, was scheduled to appear before Fayette County Magisterial District Judge Daniel Shimshock for assault, strangulation and terroristic threats charges.
State police say he brought a gun with him, shooting a police officer and three others. His wife was among those shot just after 2 p.m., police said.
Patrick Dowdell was shot and killed by a German Township police officer who was nearby.
District Attorney Rich Bower said there were dozens of cases scheduled at Shimshock蘑菇视频 office, mostly preliminary hearings. Police officers, prosecution and defense attorneys, witnesses and others were in the building when Patrick Dowdell started shooting. He credited the action of four police officers, including Masontown police Sgt. R. Scott Miller, who was shot, for their swift action in stopping what could have been a major tragedy.
鈥淚n this case, as is so often the case, a German Township police officer ran toward danger, not away. He protected 30 to 40 people from danger or death,鈥� Bower said.
Police said Miller was in the lobby of the office when Patrick Dowdell came in holding a handgun. Miller tried to stop him, but Dowdell shot the officer in the hand. Miller sustained non-life threatening injuries. Police said Patrick Dowdell shot his wife and two men. Police have not identified the other two victims.
Three German Township police officers, Chief David Hromada, Officer Tom O鈥橞arto, and the officer who fatally wounded Patrick Dowdell ran to help, Bower said, calling them and Miller 鈥渉eroes.鈥�
鈥淭hat蘑菇视频 what these people do every day of their lives. These police officers and these emergency management people risk their lives every day going out. Today, they were all shining lights to our community. It goes without saying, but we must thank them for their heroic efforts in protecting everyone in that room,鈥� Bower said. 鈥淭hey all did their duty.鈥�
Police specified that neither Shimshock nor his staff or any attorneys at the office were believed to be targets in the shooting.
Hromada said the shooting left him with mixed emotions, but said he was thankful no other lives were lost.
鈥淚t蘑菇视频 unfortunate that someone lost their life, but I鈥檓 proud of my officer and I think everyone did what they were trained to do,鈥� he said.
Witnesses were frenzied following the shooting, clustering in a few spots of shade to reflect on their close encounters and await interviews with state police.
An 8-year-old girl, Kylie Martelli, had just stepped out of the bathroom into the building蘑菇视频 lobby when the shooting started.
鈥淚 heard shooting and I didn鈥檛 know if I was OK. I was more concerned about my mom,鈥� she said.
The shooter shoved her mom, Ashley Martelli, to the floor, the woman said. He pointed a gun at the girl蘑菇视频 dad, Bill Gaebler.
鈥淚 told him, 鈥業 ain鈥檛 do nothing, sir.鈥� He said, 鈥淚鈥檓 not after you. I鈥檓 after my wife.鈥� That蘑菇视频 when I heard glass breaking and everything. I laid down on the ground and made sure I wasn鈥檛 shot.鈥�
A woman, Verna Ash, saw the girl walk out of the bathroom, grabbed her hand and pulled her outside.
When she saw the girl, she immediately thought of her 7-year-old daughter.
鈥淭here was no split second to think about it. I grabbed her hand and dragged her out of there.鈥�
The girl said the bathroom was covered in blood, though she was not sure where it came from.
鈥淚 was never around something like this before,鈥� she said, hugging her tiny arms around her small body.
Ash said she saw the shooter come in through the parking lot, shoot a woman through the lobby蘑菇视频 double doors, and then shoot a man in the arm.
Martelli said she heard the man fire shots, then reload.
鈥淚 was just trying to find my kid. I was screaming bloody murder.鈥�
She found her hiding behind a car.
Gary David was waiting for a friend when he saw a man get shot.
鈥淪omebody said, 鈥楻un!鈥� and I took off running,鈥� he said.
He fled with a group of people into the municipal office where they huddled on the floor until police informed them the scene was secured.
Jackie Gardner said she was getting ready to go inside when she heard gunshots and saw a woman run. She said blood was 鈥渆verywhere.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檝e just been praying ever since it started,鈥� she said.
Bower said that security at magisterial district courts and county courthouses is a concern.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e never going to stop everything, but the problem is that a person can walk into any of these district judge蘑菇视频 courtrooms,鈥� Bower said.
The building in which Shimshock蘑菇视频 office is housed also holds the borough蘑菇视频 municipal office. The borough蘑菇视频 police office is downstairs. Visitors to the building enter through glass front doors into a small lobby before going to either the borough or magistrate蘑菇视频 office on the main floor.
There蘑菇视频 no security to get into the building.
鈥淵ou go straight ahead, and into the magistrate蘑菇视频 office,鈥� Masontown Mayor Toni Petrus said. 鈥淭hey have a door that they can lock, but it蘑菇视频 not going to do anything to stop bullets.鈥�
Masontown Borough Council President John Stofa said he was shocked the small borough was the scene of a mass shooting, but acknowledged domestic violence cases are volatile.
鈥淲ith the domestic relations in a court, anything can happen,鈥� he said.
The mass shooting was the second in Fayette County in 2018. In January, Timothy O鈥橞rien Smith, 28, gunned down Chelsea Lou Cline, 25, Seth William Cline, 21, Cortney Sue Snyder, 23, and William Scott Porterfield, 27, before shooting himself. Both mass shootings were apparently spurred by domestic violence.
鈥淚t蘑菇视频 becoming way too common, and we鈥檙e going to try to get a hold of it,鈥� Broadwater said of mass shootings.
Fayette County Commissioner David Lohr commended police for their quick response.
鈥淚t was a good response from good people,鈥� he said.
鈥淚t蘑菇视频 a very unfortunate situation,鈥� Commissioner Vincent Vicites added. 鈥淲e just have to pray for the victims and the victims鈥� families.鈥�
State Rep. Pam Snyder, D- Jefferson, whose district includes the Masontown area, said she has been on the scene talking to investigators.
鈥淢y thoughts and prayers are with those affected by today蘑菇视频 senseless act of violence at the Masontown magistrate蘑菇视频 office,鈥� Snyder said.
State police Lt. Steve Dowlin asked for thoughts and prayers for all the victims, and asked that people consider the great sacrifice police make daily.
鈥淭he next time you see a police officer, walk up to them and thank them for what they do, putting their lives on the line every day,鈥� he said.
Anyone who may have been a witness or had additional information on the shooting is asked to contact state police at 724-439-7111 or Fayette County Crime Stoppers at 724-320-2042.