One person was killed and three others were wounded by a bar security guard who opened fire in the bar's parking lot last night in Penn Hills after a disturbance inside the tavern, police said.
The shooting happened about 8:30 p.m. in the parking lot of A4 Place on Nelbon Avenue, near the intersection of Frankstown and Beulah roads, said Penn Hills police Chief Howard Burton.
Penn Hills Safety Director Dom Costa said one of the four shooting victims had previously been told to leave the bar and not to return. When the owner saw him back in the bar, he told him to leave and that's when the trouble started. When the man refused to leave, the owner had a security guard escort the man, who was accompanied by several friends, out of the bar. Once outside, an argument started, which led to pushing and shoving, before the shots were fired.
The security guard, who was not identified, fired as many as 15 shots from a 9 mm handgun. No other guns were found at the scene.
"He was the lone shooter," Chief Burton said.
Two of the shooting victims tried to make their way to a GetGo station across the street, but one of them collapsed on the way.
The other two victims were found in the bar's parking lot.
Two of the victims were taken to UPMC Presbyterian and two were taken to Mercy Hospital. A spokesman for the Allegheny County coroner's office confirmed that one of the victims at Mercy Hospital later died.
The conditions of the other three victims was not available.
The bar's owner also was injured in the incident, but he was not hit by gunfire, police said.
Mr. Costa said that police were trying to determine whether the guard was licensed to carry a weapon and whether he believed his life was threatened.
"It's likely he will be charged," Mr. Costa said.
Mr. Costa said the tavern does not have a history of trouble. "This is not a nuisance bar," he said.
