Police: Long John Silver’s shooting suspect claims he felt threatened by victim
The suspect in a fatal shooting at Long John Silver’s fast-food restaurant in South Union Township Sunday afternoon reportedly told police he felt threatened by the victim. The suspect is also facing charges for allegedly pointing a gun at another man earlier in the day.
Justin Daniel Rittacco, 21, of North Main Street in Fairchance allegedly shot 39-year-old Robert Lukehart in the parking lot at about 4:40 p.m.
Lukehart was pronounced dead on the scene from multiple gunshot wounds. Two rounds from a 9-mm Sig Sauer pistol hit Lukehart in the chest, and one hit him in the right arm, state police said.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, Rittacco was dropping off a passenger at work at the Morgantown Street restaurant when a black car pulled up behind him and two people got out. Lukehart ran up to the driver’s side of the vehicle, and Rittacco fired three shots at him, according to court paperwork. Police did not identify the second person with Lukehart or Rittacco’s passenger in the affidavit.
State police said video surveillance and multiple witnesses corroborated the account.
Rittacco reportedly admitted he shot Lukehart, but claimed he did so because Lukehart approached his vehicle “in an aggressive manner and he felt his life was threatened,” state police Trooper Kristen Zelechowski wrote in the affidavit.
About one hour before the shooting, Brandon Kissinger told state police he saw his girlfriend, Louise Sutton, in Rittacco’s car near a roller skating rink in Fairchance. He followed the car onto Route 857, passed it and stopped in front of it in the road near a gas station.
Kissinger reportedly walked to the passenger side of Rittacco’s car to confront his girlfriend, who refused to put down her window. Police said Rittacco pointed a gun at him and told him to leave, and Kissinger told authorities he returned to his vehicle and drove away. Rittacco reportedly admitted to state police he pointed the gun at Kissinger, saying he did so because he thought he and Sutton’s lives were being threatened.
Rittacco is charged with criminal homicide in the first case and terroristic threats, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person in the second case.
He was arraigned Sunday morning before on-call Magisterial District Judge Nathan A. Henning, who denied bail.