Armed, erratic Shaler man shot and killed by police described as a straight- laced neighbor, caring teacher
Neighbors of a Penn Hills High School teacher who officials say pointed a gun at police before officers shot and killed him described his behavior as “shocking,” because he was usually a “straightlaced guy.”
Don Babbit, 49, was shot and killed by police around 3 p. m. Tuesday in Shaler, in the 800 block of Spencer Grove Lane. He was acting “erratically” and waved a gun at officers, Allegheny County police said.
Neighbor Kayli Plavetzky, 17, saw that erratic behavior just a short time before the shooting. She said she was home alone and in her pool when she heard screaming and sounds that she originally dismissed as nothing.
“So I looked up and I saw my neighbor, and he was naked in his backyard, and it’s like not normal to me,” she recalled Wednesday. “So I called my mom and he started walking over to my pool.” Her mother then called the police, she said.
Once in her yard, Mr. Babbit placed a pool filter that was on the deck of the pool on his head, then walked back to his house, she said.
“It was just weird. He didn’t say anything. He would just walk through [ the yard] and walk back. And then I went inside, and that’s when I heard shooting. Then my parents came home,” Kayli said.
She described it as atypical behavior for him.
“He’s normal. He’s a nice guy and we say hi to him all the time,” she said. “I don’t know what’s going on. ... He was obviously not in the right state of mind.”
County police Superintendent Coleman McDonough said that when officers showed up they used a PA system to try to contact Mr. Babbit, who was inside his home when they arrived. Mr. Babbit’s wife told the officers her husband had access to weapons, and he eventually came out waving a handgun, authorities said.
After repeatedly telling Mr. Babbit to drop the gun, two Shaler officers and a Hampton officer opened fire and shot him multiple times, the superintendent said. Mr.
Babbit died at Allegheny General Hospital. No officers were injured.
The Allegheny County medical examiner’s office said Wednesday night that Mr. Babbit died from gunshot wounds to the head, neck and body and ruled his death a homicide.
Penn Hills school district Superintendent Nancy Hines commented Wednesday that the community has “repeatedly” shown its heart and resiliency in times of struggle.
“In these moments, we have also displayed courage and solidarity,” Ms. Hines said in a statement. “As we face yet another tragedy, we realize it is not our place to judge or even speculate about what’s being reported in the media. Rather, we ask everyone to keep Don and his family in your thoughts and prayers. We also ask the media to respect our community’s privacy as we attempt to grieve.”
Grief counselors will be present at the high school where he taught from 10 a. m. to 3 p. m. Friday for students, staff, and community members. Some of Mr. Babbit’s high school colleagues declined comment, but some former students praised him.
Jamar Hubbard, 38, graduated from Penn Hills in 1999. He remembered Mr. Babbit as a teacher with a sense of humor and a bright personality. “But most importantly, he had a heart for students’ progression,” Mr. Hubbard said.
He remembered seeing Mr. Babbit stay after school to give students math lessons so they could pass the SAT. And while some teachers could get overwhelmed at such a large school, Mr. Hubbard said, Mr. Babbit would always go above and beyond.
“When you think of the good things of Penn Hills from a legacy standpoint, he was one of those people who truly embodied the family and community,” Mr. Hubbard said.
One person tweeted that he put a smile on everyone’s face, whether students or fellow teachers.
Another student tweeted a recollection that Mr. Babbit attended all the school’s musicals, and that he would sing Stevie Wonder’s “Signed Sealed Delivered I’m Yours” when handing back tests.
Other neighbors who know the Babbit family expressed shock at what happened Tuesday.
Patti Turano, 69, said she was looking out her dining room window and across the street when she saw the shooting. A tree branch blocked her view of Mr. Babbit’s face, and she initially “didn’t even realize it was him,” she said.
“I didn’t see what led up to it, I just saw the shooting,” Ms. Turano said. “[ Police] told him to stop, because he had his hands in the air and he was just waving them. They told him to stop and get down, and he did not. Then they shot him.”
They’ve been neighbors for at least 20 years, she said. “You couldn’t find nicer people,” she said of the Babbit family. “I lost a son 13 years ago to drug overdose, and [ Mr. Babbit’s wife] came up and invited me to her prayer circle. He was always very friendly and very nice.”
Ms. Turano said she originally thought the commotion across the street was because someone might have broken into Mr. Babbit’s home.
“They’re a very wonderful family, and this is shocking,” Ms. Turano said. “My heart goes out to them. He was such a straight- laced guy.”